The Standard - 2016 June 09 - Thursday

VOL. XXX NO. 117 3 Sections 32 Pages P18 THURSDAY : JUNE 9, 2016 www.thestandard.com.ph editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Grace is biggest election spender

A3

REDS NOW SEEK COALITION GOVT

CPP will push for release of Tiamzons, 521 others

By Joyce Pangco Pañares and John Paolo Bencito

THE Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front is open to entering into a coalition government with the administration of Presidentelect Rodrigo Duterte as they push for the release of 523 political prisoners, including CPP chairman Benito Tiamzon and his wife, Wilma Austria, who is the group’s secretary-general and finance officer.

CPP founding chairman Jose Ma. Sison said discussions on the possible coalition government will form part of formal negotiations on political and constitutional reforms in Oslo.

“We are open to a coalition government. Why not, especially if the composition and program of the coalition government is satisfactory to the Filipino people?”

Sison told The Standard in an interview from Utrecht.

“The program must be truly one for national sovereignty and territorial integrity, democratic empowerment of the working people, social justice, economic development through national industrialization and genuine land reform, a patriotic and progressive culture with expanded free public education and international solidarity with all peoples and progressive forces,” he added.

Sison said he cannot name yet

the NDF officials who may join the Duterte administration since the peace negotiations have not yet resumed.

“However, I would like to point out that we have a lot of highly qualified people in the NDF,” he said.

Sison said the NDF is seeking the release of more than 500 political prisoners, including the Tiamzon couple who were arrested in Carcar, Cebu in March 2014.

Next page

Negotiations. Chinese President Xi Jingping holds a meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing last June 7. AFP

Pimentel has Senate presidency in the bag

A2

China accuses Manila of forsaking dialog BEIJING, China—China accused the Philippines Wednesday of ignoring requests for dialogue about their maritime dispute, as tensions rise before an international tribunal’s ruling on the territorial row.

The Philippines has “unilaterally closed the door of settling the South China Sea issue with China through

negotiation,” China’s foreign ministry said in a lengthy statement published by the official Xinhua news agency.

The statement came a day after the end of an annual meeting between the US and China in Beijing, at which the two countries failed to make progress on the issue.

China asserts ownership over nearly all of the sea despite competing claims

by several of its Southeast Asian neighbors, and has rapidly built artificial islands suitable for military use.

Manila accuses China of effectively taking control of Scarborough Shoal, one of the contested areas, in 2012 and has brought a case against Beijing to the Permanent Court of Arbitration at Next page The Hague.

T H U R S D AY : J U N E 9, 2 0 1 6

A2 China...

From A1

China has shunned the proceedings and said it will not recognize any ruling.

In the statement, the foreign ministry said that in 1995 Beijing and Manila agreed to settle disputes through talks and negotiation. It accused the Philippines of ignoring proposals to create a consultation mechanism on disputes at sea.

The ministry did not specify how such consultations would be different from the numerous exchanges the countries have had on the issue.

It blamed Manila for the dramatic worsening in the two countries’ relations and in the peace and stability of the South China Sea. The Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam have competing claims to China, and object to its island-building.

Washington says such construction, which includes military-capable airstrips, threatens freedom of navigation. It has sent warships close to Chineseclaimed reefs, angering Beijing.

During the two-day meeting that ended Tuesday, US Secretary of State John Kerry urged China to settle its territorial rows peacefully based on the “rule of law.”

But Beijing’s top diplomat Yang Jiechi said the US should butt out of disputes that were a long way from its shores, including the international arbitration case brought by the Philippines.

China’s stance on the case is “in line with international law,” Yang said, insisting that his country’s position “has not and will not change.”

The Department of Foreign Affairs declined to comment on China’s latest statement, saying the country would wait for the UN tribunal’s decision, which is expected this year.

In contrast to the multi-lateral approach favored by the Aquino administration, incoming Foreign Affairs secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. said the new government would work to resume bilateral talks.

“I don’t think there is any other way of resolving this except by talking to each other,” Yasay said.

On Tuesday, an official from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told a forum at the National Defense College of the Philippines that if China declares an air defense identification zone (Adiz) over the disputed territories, planes from different countries would swarm to it to challenge it.

“The minute they do it planes would be up flying through it, American planes, Japanese planes, Australian planes, and probably European planes, including Philippine planes,” said Ernest Bower, chairman of the Southeast Asia Program at the center.

Bower made the assessment in answer to a query raised by former nationals security adviser Roilo Golez on how the US and its allies would respond to an Adiz declared by China. Vito Barcelo, Florante S. Solmerin, AFP

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Koko will be next Senate president, Drilon declares In an interview at the “Kapihan sa Manila Bay,” Drilon said he will sit as Senate president pro tempore and acting Minoriy Leader Vicente Sotto III would be majority leader.

“Last night we met and had the agreement. The president of the incoming Senate will be Senator Aquilino Pimentel,” Drilon said.

Drilon said the setup was unusual because Pimentel was the only PDP-Laban senator.

“Certainly in the recent memory, I do not recall a similar setup,” said Drilon, noting that choosing Pimentel as the next Senate president is an indication that they are willing to support, in general, the legislative agenda of the administration of incoming President Rodrigo Duterte.

Drilon said the support for Pimentel was already a “cast in stone.”

“We have enough. We have more than the required majority,” he added.

Pimentel’s father and namesake, Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr., was Senate president in 2000

to 2001 during the Estrada administration.

Drilon said that the major political parties met Tuesday night to forge an alliance to form a “supermajority.”

The other members of the alliance are Senators Ralph Recto, Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, Joel Villanueva, Leila de Lima, Francis Pangilinan, Risa Hontiveros (Akbayan party-list), Joel Villanueva (CIBAC party-list), Panfilo Lacson, Sonny Angara, Grace Poe, Loren Legarda, Gregorio Honasan, Manny Pacquiao, Sherwin Gatchalian and Nancy Binay.

“We have six Liberal Party [LP] members, one Akbayan, the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino [LDP] plus the Nationalist People’s Coalition [NPC] and the other allied political groups,” said Drilon, who was Senate president for four terms.

A majority vote of 13 is needed to elect the Senate president.

Asked why he did not fight for his current position when the LP has the most number of senators, Drilon said they would

have still needed five allies. Instead of wrangling, they decided to settle for the pro tempore post and support the lone PDP-Laban senator.

Drilon dismissed suggestions that the alliance in the Senate mirrored the coalition formed

by House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte and the PDP-Laban.

“There are 24 republics in the Senate. Each one of us has his or her own mandate. Each one of us makes his or her own decision. We did not take into account what was happening in the House. We took into account what we believed the Senate, as an institution, should stand for,” Drilon said.

“Koko [Pimentel] was the choice of the 16 or 17 senators.

We were eight. Tito [Sotto] had eight or nine,” Drilon said.

Before the agreement was forged Tuesday night, Duterte’s defeated running mate, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano had lobbied to be Senate president, saying he had the support of 15 senators. Sotto, on the other hand, said 18 senators would support him.

Pimentel said he would invite Cayetano to join the majority.

Cayetano belongs to the Nacionalista Party with three other members—Senators Cynthia Villar, Antonio Trillanes IV and Ferdinand Marcos Jr., whose term of office expires on June 30.

Reds...

cation. But they only have themselves to blame for rendering the Jasig inoperative for most of their alleged consultants. If indeed Benito was listed under an alias, he is no longer covered by the Jasig. Wilma Austria, on the other hand, jumped bail when she escaped from detention on Dec. 26, 1989, when there were no peace talks, and six years before the Jasig came into effect.

This makes her ineligible for Jasig protection, even assuming she was identified in the Jasig list by her real name,” Padilla added.

Formal peace talks between the Aquino administration and the CPP-NDF-New People’s Army bogged down in February 2011 because the communist group has been insisting on the reactivation of the Jasig, a move rejected by the government after the original list, stored in an old floppy disk, got corrupted and could no longer be retrieved.

But incoming government chief negotiator Silvestre Bello III said the Jasig can be reconstituted under a Duterte administration.

Bello, together with incoming peace adviser Jesus Dureza and incoming government peace panel member Hernani Braganza, will join Sison, Jalandoni and Fidel Agcaoili in Oslo next week for a two-day exploratory

meeting.

Sison said he expects to conclude three agreements—on the release of the political prisoners, an interim ceasefire and a plan to accelerate the peace negotiations—during the discussion from June 15 to 16.

“The interim ceasefire will take effect with the release of all political prisoners through a general amnesty until the successful conclusion of the peace negotiations. The formal peace talks will include a comprehensive and detailed agreement on the permanent end of hostilities,” Sison added.

Duterte has expressed his desire to end the nearly five-decade-long insurgency through a comprehensive peace agreement with the CPP-NDF-NPA. Known to be close to the left, Duterte even announced his choice of progressives to join his Cabinet, including Judy Taguiwalo to head the Department of Social Welfare and Development and Rafael Mariano to head the Department of Agrarian Reform.

On Wednesday, Agcaoili said the NDF would no longer make junking the Visiting Forces Agreement and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement with the United States a condition for the resumption of peace talks.

By Macon Ramos-Araneta

PDP-LABAN president Senator Aquilino Pimentel III will be the next Senate president in the 17th Congress, outgoing Senate President Franklin Drilon said Wednesday.

From A1

“Duterte himself has said that he will pave the release of Benito and Wilma so they can participate in the peace process.

The NDF is hopeful that once the formal peace talks begin, Benito and Wilma are already with us,” he said.

NDF chief negotiator Luis Jalandoni earlier insisted that Benito, who has a P5.6-million bounty on his head, and Wilma, are covered by the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (Jasig).

“Benito Tiamzon and Wilma Austria are NDF consultants who have fulfilled and are fulfilling highly significant tasks in the peace negotiations between the government and the NDF. Wilma Austria is holder of NDF Document of Identification ND978226 under her real name. Benito Tiamzon is likewise the holder of NDF Document of Identification ND 978227 under the assumed name Crising Banaag,” Jalandoni said.

Incumbent government chief negotiator Alexander Padilla, however, insisted that the two do not enjoy protection under the Jasig.

“The CPP-NPA is well aware of the effects of the failed verifi-

Among those who aired their support for Cayetano were Villar, Senators-elect Manny Pacquiao and Juan Miguel Zubiri.

Trillanes, who had launched a furious attack on Duterte during the campaign, said Wednesday he would join the minority bloc in the Senate.

In a text message, Trillanes also congratulated Pimentel for being chosen by the majority as the Senate president when Congress opens on July 25.

“I am confident that under his watch, the Senate’s integrity and independence won’t be compromised,” said Trillanes.

Pimentel had earlier expressed hope to get the support of his five other colleagues except Trillanes and Senator Francis Escudero.

Escudero confirmed he would be part of the minority as a matter of personal principle and belief.

He said there was no decision yet as to who would run against Pimentel in the Senate presidency race to get the position of the minority leader.

Under the Senate rules, the losing contender for the post automatically becomes the opposition leader.

Pimentel said he would not make any offer to Cayetano but pointed out that the chairmanship of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee and other panels was up for grabs.

“I have to criticize myself because in a press conference, someone asked me what is your non-negotiable demand—I said well it’s the presence of US forces. Now thinking about it, I think I was too forward. I don’t think I should have said that in first place,” Agcaoili said.

“If you go back to the statement of President-elect Duterte, he said he was against VFA and Edca. There is no need for a non-negotiable demand when there is already an imposition.

No need to make demand when there is no need to make a demand,” he added.

He added that since the Edca was not a treaty, the chief executive could simply rescind it.

In the same press briefing, Agcaoili confirmed that preliminary talks will start next week in Oslo.

“We in the NDFP have been elated by the pledge of President Duterte to release all the political prisoners by general amnesty even before the start of formal talks if the preliminary talks prove to be successful. And we have expressed the willingness to achieve peace immediately in the form of a mutual interim ceasefire.

We are ready to maintain the ceasefire and the peace while we carry out the plan to accelerate the peace negotiations,” he said.

T H U R S D AY : J U N E 9, 2 0 1 6

A3

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Grace Poe biggest spender in election

Still at it. Eighty-five-year-old flag maker Lu Tan Gatue works on a Philippine flag inside her shop on Manila’s Rizal Avenue as the orders for it continue coming with less than a week before the commemoration of the Philippines’ 118th Independence Day. EY ACASIO

UN reporters mocked, told to get some sleep DAVAO CITY—President-elect Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday mocked UN rapporteurs and told them to “go home and get some sleep” after claiming they had misinterpreted his statements.

“My reply to the UN Rapporteurs: Go home and get some sleep.

You are overworked and sound beat. Your statement is anchored on the wrong premise,” Duterte said in a statement released by his spokesman Salvador Panelo.

He vowed that he would not allow or condone the killing of any journalist during his six-year tenure.

“I do not condone nor tolerate the killing of journalists regardless of the motive of the killers or the reason for their killing,” Duterte said.

“My duty as president is to uphold and enforce the law and I will

pursue and prosecute killers to the hilt in accordance with the law. I will be protective of the rights of journalists.”

Duterte said he would never condone the killing of journalists.

“I never said that killing journalists is justified because they are involved in corruption,” Duterte said.

“What I said is that you don’t have to be a journalist to be the subject of an assassination. There are many cases where journalists are killed by reason of their advocacies but there are those who are killed because they take sides and accept bribes and renege on their commitments.”

Duterte then slammed the UN rapporteurs for allegedly misinterpreting his statements.

On Monday, two UN human rights advocates condemned Duterte for his “irresponsible” statements, saying those would invite violence.

“A message of this nature amounts to incitement to violence and killing in a nation already ranked as the second-deadliest country for journalists,” UN Special Rapporteur on summary executions Cristof Heyns said in a statement sent to The Standard.

“These comments are irresponsible in the extreme and unbecoming of any leader, let alone someone who is to assume the position of the leader of a country that calls itself democratic.”

UN Special Rapporteur David Kaye said “Justifying the killings of

journalists on the basis of how they conduct their professional activities can be understood as a permissive signal to potential killers that the murder of journalists is acceptable in certain circumstances and would not be punished.

“This position is even more disturbing when one considers that the Philippines is still struggling to ensure accountability to the notorious cases of violence against journalists, such as the Maguindanao massacre.”

In a radio interview, however, Salvador Panelo, Duterte’s press secretary, said the “silence” of Philippine media organizations on the call of an international press group to boycott the President-elect may have been one of the factors that pushed Duterte to shun the media throughout the duration of his term. John Paolo Bencito

SENATOR Grace Poe emerged as the biggest spender among the five presidential candidates during this year’s elections, spending P510,845,262.56 from the P511,950,000 in donations based on her Statement of Contributions and Expenditures.

Vice President Jejomar Binay came in second, spending P463,375,216.37 from his total received donations of P463,453,000 cash.

President-elect Rodrigo Duterte spent P371,461,480.23, while Liberal Party standard bearer Manuel Roxas II was the only presidential candidate who failed to file his statement on time.

Meanwhile, vice presidential candidate Leni Robredo spent P419,664,130.60 in her campaign.

Duterte personally spent P200,000; P298,303,792 in cash donations and P76,705,682.90 in in-kind contributions.

Most of his contributors were businessman, with banana producer Antonio Floirendo Jr. giving him P75 million; Domingo Uy of Insular Village P30 million; Bienvenido Tan of San Antonio Village P20 million; Tomas Alcantara and Nicasio Alcantara of the power firm Alsons P12 million and P16 million, respectively; spouses Dennis Uy of Phoenix Petroleum P2 million and Cherylyn Uy of Chelsea shipping P5 million; Samuel Uy P30 million and Lorenzo Te with P30 million contribution.

Poe’s representative was able to file her SOCE minutes before the 5 p.m. deadline, while Liberal Party standard bearer Manuel Roxas II had yet to submit his report as of press time.

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago was the first presidential aspirant to file her SOCE, declaring having received and spent P74,652,689.87.

Senator Francis Escudero was the second highest vice presidential campaign spender with P321.01 million followed by Duterte’s running mate Alan Peter Cayetano with P189.13 million.

Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. spent only P140.54 million followed by Antonio Trillanes IV with P61.90 million and Gringo Honasan with P26.26 million. Sara Susanne D. Fabunan

Information Bureau defended

No contact citation. Motorists wait their turn to pay traffic violation fines at the Metro Manila Development Authority head office in Quezon City after being caught via closedcircuit television cameras along major roads. DANNY PATA

MALACAÑANG said Wednesday its News and Information Bureau is performing its mandate, and that its internet expenses are needed to do its work.

“The NIB responded to the audit observation,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said in a statement.

“All government agencies need internet connection so it can be used to accomplish its mandate to provide accurate and timely information to the public and to government officials.”

The Commission on Audit had called the NIB over its supposed lack of control over its communication allowances and internet subscription, which it said “may result [in the ] incurrence of unnecessary expenses” in violation of a CoA circular.

In a report released on June 8, CoA said the NIB spent P1,794,770.99 for its Internet use for the year 2015.

The report said the news bureau subscribed to three internet service providers and held 49 different accounts with monthly plans ranging from P999 to P25,000.

“While the acquisition of separate accounts may have been the immediate solution at the time of necessity, proper planning and consultation with ISPs will likely result [in] finding a

service package that is sufficient for the agency’s needs at a fraction of the cost,” CoA said. “[This] may result [in the] incurrence of unnecessary expenses prohibited in COA Circular No. 2012-003 dated October 29, 2012.

“We recommended that Management evaluate the cost-effectiveness of all internet subscriptions to optimize the limited resources of NIB and ensure that no unnecessary expenses will be incurred.”

On the NIB’s use of mobile phones, the state auditors said NIB’s officials and employees had 34 postpaid plans that amounted to P939,350.45 in 2015.

The postpaid plans varied from P1,000 to P3,500 a month with one plan worth P5,000 a month.

“Scrutiny of the statement of accounts showed that the actual utilization of several postpaid plans exceeded the approved plan per month,” CoA said.

“However, these were still allowed and paid

by NIB despite the absence of [the[ required justification by the end-users.”

There was also no ceiling for the reimbursements made for the prepaid mobile allowances of field employees assigned to the Philippine News Agency, which amounted to P35,451.

Sandy Araneta

T H U R S D AY : J U N E 9, 2 0 1 6

A4

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Abus free 4 Malaysians

By Florante S. Solmerin

THE four Malaysians abducted by the Abu Sayyaf Group last April 1 were released Tuesday in Sulu and immediately ferried to Sandakan, Malaysia even as the military said it is investigating reports that ransom was paid for their release.

“We have yet to confirm whether ransom money was paid in exchange for the safe release of the victims,” Major Filemon Tan, spokesman of the Western Mindanao Command [Westmincom], said in a statement.

The freed victims were Wong Teck Kang, 31, and Wong Teck Chii, 29, their cousin, Johnny Lau Jung Hien, 21, and Wong Hung Sing, 34.

Tan said the Malaysians were freed early in the morning at the

shoreline of Barangay Lagasan Higat in Parang and were immediately boarded onto a speedboat that soon left for Sandakan.

“The four victims who were aboard Tugboat Massive 6 were abducted by the ASG believed to be led by ASG sub-leader Madjan Sahidjuan, alias Apuh Mike, off the high seas of Sempornah, Sabah last April 01,” Tan said.

“Information received from ground units disclosed that the freed victims arrived in Sandakan

at about 6 a.m. today,” he added.

Multiple reports said the release of the victims was negotiated by the help of some Filipino-Malaysians.

Formed in the early 1990s, the Abu Sayyaf is a radical offshoot of a Muslim separatist insurgency in the south of the mainly Catholic Philippines.

The militants regularly abduct foreigners and locals to extort money for their release.

In May, the Abu Sayyaf released 14 Indonesian sailors who had been kidnapped in two high-seas raids similar to the abduction of the Malaysians.

The kidnappings prompted Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines to launch joint patrols in their waters and set up a security hotline.

In April, the Abu Sayyaf be-

headed Canadian hostage John Ridsdel after a deadline for paying a ransom of $6.4 million passed, and in November last year killed a Malaysian man.

Ridsdel was kidnapped along with a Canadian friend, a Norwegian man and a Filipina from aboard yachts at a marina in the southern Philippines in September last year.

The Abu Sayyaf has warned it will kill either the Canadian or the Norwegian if a multi-million-dollar ransom is not paid by Monday.

The Abu Sayyaf is also holding a Dutch birdwatcher kidnapped in 2012.

The Abu Sayyaf ’s leaders have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, but analysts say it is more focused on kidnappings for ransom than setting up a caliphate.

Beating the deadline. Representatives of different candidates who ran in the May 9 elections flocked to Commission on Elections office in Intramuros, Manila to submit their statements of contributions and expenditures. DANNY PATA

Duterte slams ‘narco politics’

By John Paolo Bencito DAVAO CITY—Presidentelect Rodrigo Duterte said he plans to go after 35 mayors and governors who are allegedly involved in the illegal drug trade, according to a congressional leader who met with the incoming president Tuesday.

Incoming House minority leader Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez, who was among the congressmen who met with Duterte on Tuesday, said Duterte identified the local leaders in a meeting that was attended by incumbent Speaker Feliciano Belmonte and incoming Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez “He is giving them some leeway to confess so that they can get lighter sentences, but he is not saying clemency or pardon,” the ABS-CBN television network quoted Suarez as saying.

Suarez declined to identify the 35 local leaders mentioned by Duterte, but hinted that they are mayors and governors.

Duterte also told solons that he intends to clean the ranks of the Philippine National Police as some of its members have been lured into the illegal drug industry.

“He even mentioned that he might need the support of the Armed Forces in the cleansing method, eliminating those men in uniform who are involved in this drug issue,” Suarez said.

1,232 schools to hike tuition

By John Paolo Bencito A TOTAL of 1,232 of the 12,072 private elementary and secondary schools all over the country will be raising their tuition for the incoming school year, the Education Department announced Wednesday.

In a statement sent to reporters, the Education Department said 10.27 percent of all private schools in the country were allowed to raise their tuition as long as the schools have “undergone steps to ensure that the increase is reasonable and in accordance with DepEd guidelines which states that 70 percent of the increase must go to teachers’ salaries.”

“Schools were asked to submit necessary documentation that proves

consultation between the stakeholders occurred,” the DepED said.

The bulk of the requests for tuition increases came from the National Capital Region with 178 schools approved, followed by Davao Region with 165 schools, Central Luzon with 151 schools, Calabarzon with 127 schools and Ilocos Region with 120 schools approved for tuition hikes.

The regions with the least number of schools approved for tuition hikes were Muslim Mindanao, Caraga and Cotabato.

Of the over 24 million elementary and high school students in the country, only 12.2 percent are enrolled in private schools while the remaining 87.8 percent study in public schools.

Turnover. Incoming Agriculture secretary Emmanuel Piñol listens to outgoing Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala during a press briefing at the Department of Agriculture head office in Quezon City on Wednesday. MANNY PALMERO

t h u r s D AY : j u n e 9, 2 0 1 6

A5

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Belmonte offered plum post in House

By Maricel V. Cruz

Price check. Several days before the start of classes, inspectors from the Department of Trade and Industry check against overpricing of school supplies in Divisoria Market, Manila on Wednesday June 8. DANNY PATA

Audit chides PMS over water purchases

By Sandy Araneta MalacaÑang on Wednesday said the Presidential Management Staff was justified in buying more expensive bottled water instead of purified drinking water from neighborhood water refilling stations.

“PMS has fully justified its actions in its reply to the CoA findings,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said in a statement.

“Alternative procurement was done in view of health issues arising from water supplied previously,” Coloma said.

“All procurement has been done in accordance with law.

Water dispensers from central office have been redeployed to

regional offices,” Coloma also said. the Commission on Audit has castigated the PMS for its drinking water purchases. in its 2015 financial audit report, CoA questioned the decision of PMS to buy branded drinking water from the Armed Forces of the Philippines Commissary in mid-2014 “due to a lone incidence of diarrhea among the PMS personnel.”

CoA noted that before the PMS decided to buy premium water in six-liter bottles, it had been buying its water in five-gallon bottles from “reputable” water refilling stations.

CoA said the switch meant an additional P850,000 in unnecessary expenses for the PMS as a refilled bottle was priced at an average of P1.50 to P1.75 per liter compared to the branded bottled water’s average price of P9.6587 per liter.

Apart from additional costs, CoA said PMS also rendered useless the 19 water dispensers (worth P76,359.00) for the fivegallon bottles.

“We recommended that the agency be prudent in spending government funds by purchasing drinking water from reputa-

ble refilling stations. the agency should simply choose carefully a supplier which complies with all sanitary requirements to ensure safety of the employees and to maximize the use of its PPE [property, plant and equipment],” said CoA. Management commented that PMS will procure through Small Value Procurement purified drinking water from the reputable refilling station that best meets its requirement to ensure safety of PMS personnel. in its reply, PMS said it would stop buying bottled water. instead, it would procure through Small Value Procurement purified drinking water from the reputable refilling station that “best meets its requirement to ensure safety of PMS personnel.”

OutgOing Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. is expected to assume post as the chair of the House committee on accounts in the incoming 17th Congress, an official who refused not to be named said on Wednesday. the source said that this was the consensus offered to Belmonte who just joined the majority coalition in the House led by the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan of incoming President Rodrigo Duterte. “the offer is for the Speaker to head the House committee on accounts,” said the congressman, who is privy to the negotiation of Belmonte of the ruling Liberal Party and incoming Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez of Davao del norte of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan.

Belmonte, LP vice chairman, is in coalition talks with Alvarez for possible LP and PDP-Laban alliance in the soon-to-be created super majority. the House committee on accounts in the 16th Congress was chaired by Romblon Rep. Eleandro Jesus Madrona, a stalwart of the nacionalista Party. the accounts committee is said to be one of the powerful committees at the House as this is responsible for budget preparation, approval, disbursements, and accounting for the financial operations of the House of Representatives. the source said Belmonte is “no stranger” to PDP-Laban being a former member of the party in the early 90s and a colleague of Duterte and a travelling buddy during the 11th Congress (1998-2001).

As of press time, Belmonte has yet to comment on the possibility that he will head the accounts committee.

Belmonte earlier said he would opt to be the new minority leader.

But this has changed following his visit to Davao City to meet Duterte for a courtesy call, and Alvarez as well.

25 towing crewmen drug users

By Joel E. Zurbano tWEnty-FiVE out of the 377 towing firm personnel tested positive for drug use, the Metro Manila Development Authority said on Wednesday.

MMDA towing group chief Victor nuñez said the drug test was conducted for accredited towing firm personnel in line with the agency’s new policy to stop extortion and other illegal activities involving towing crewmen. nuñez said those who tested positive for drug use cannot renew their accreditation or apply anymore from MMDA-accredited towing firms; their identification cards have also been confiscated.

Apart from the mandatory drug test, the towing personnel will also undergo seminar, and diagnostic examination. A smoke emission test would likewise be conducted on all tow trucks.

MMDA Chairman Emerson Carlos said

these procedures are prerequisites for accreditation and would ensure that only qualified and decent people will be allowed to operate tow trucks in the metropolis.

“We need to cleanse the ranks of tow truck operators. those isolated unscrupulous incidents are hurting the image of MMDA, since we are the one issuing the accreditations,” he said. in June last year, 54 towing personnel had tested positive for drugs, while 24 were also found out to be using drugs last January.

Carlos said those towing personnel found to be using illegal drugs were immediately terminated by their respective companies and were put on blacklist and are now banned from entering the MMDA impounding area.

He urged motorists to report to MMDA any illegal acts committed on the road either by agency personnel or employees of private towing companies.

Hospital stays. Health workers who are holding a picket outside the Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital rejoice after President-elect Rodrigo Duterte scraps the plan to abolish the hospital on Wednesday June 8. DANNY PATA

T H U R S D AY : J U N E 9, 2 0 1 6

A6

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

Pacquiao keeps ‘richest’ tag—House Republic of the Philippines CAVIT E STAT E UNIVERSIT Y ( Cv SU) Do n Se ve r in o d e a la s Ca m p u s In d a n g , ca vite ( 0 4 6 ) 4 1 5 0 1 0 /4 1 5 - 0 0 11 4 1 5 - 0 0 1 2 www.cvsu .e d u c.p h

By Maricel V. Cruz

Republic of the Philippines CAV ITE STATE U N IV E R S ITY (C vSU ) D on S everi no de al as C ampus Indang, c av i te (046) 415010/415 -0011 415-0012 w w w.cvsu.educ .ph

INVITATION TO APPLY FOR ELIGIBILITY AND TO BID

INVITATION TO APPLY FOR ELIGIBILITY AND TO BID

The CAVITE STATE UNIVERSITY, through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), invites suppliers/manufacturers/distributors/ contractors to apply for eligibility and to bid for the hereunder project: Name of Project : SUPPLY DELIVERY AND INSTALLATION OF MULTIFUNCTIONAL COLOR PRINTER Location : PRINTING SERVICES UNIT, E&BA, CAVITE STATE UNIVERSITY, INDANG, CAVITE Brief Description : MULTIFUNCTIONAL COLOR PRINTER Approved Budget For the Contract : P 2,700,000.00 Prospective bidders should have experience in undertaking a similar project within the last two (2) years with an amount of at least 50% of the proposed project for bidding. The Eligibility Check/Screening as well as the Preliminary Examination of Bids shall use non-discretionary “pass/fail” criteria. Post-qualification of the lowest calculated bid shall be conducted.

All particulars relative to Eligibility Statement and Screening, Bid Security, Performance Security, Pre-Bidding Conference(s), Evaluation of Bids, Post-Qualification and Award of Contract shall be governed by the pertinent provisions of R.A. 9184 and its Implementing Rules and Regulation (IRR).

The complete schedule of activities is listed, as follows:

The CAVITE STATE UNIVERSITY, through its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), invites suppliers/manufacturers/distributors/ contractors to apply for eligibility and to bid for the hereunder project: Name of Project : SUPPLY DELIVERY AND INSTALLATION OF LABORATORY EQUIPMENT Location : CVMBS, CAVITE STATE UNIVERSITY, INDANG, CAVITE Brief Description : VET-MED LABORATORY EQUIPMENT Approved Budget For the Contract : P 18,676,000.00 Prospective bidders should have experience in undertaking a similar project within the last two (2) years with an amount of at least 50% of the proposed project for bidding. The Eligibility Check/Screening as well as the Preliminary Examination of Bids shall use non-discretionary “pass/fail” criteria. Post-qualification of the lowest calculated bid shall be conducted.

All particulars relative to Eligibility Statement and Screening, Bid Security, Performance Security, Pre-Bidding Conference(s), Evaluation of Bids, Post-Qualification and Award of Contract shall be governed by the pertinent provisions of R.A. 9184 and its Implementing Rules and Regulation (IRR).

The complete schedule of activities is listed, as follows:

Activities 1. Issuance of Bid Documents 2. Pre-bid Conference 3. Opening of Bids

Schedule June 7, 2016 to June 28, 2016; 8:00AM – 5:00PM June 14, 2016; 1:00 PM; S.L. Lasap Hall, Administration Building, Cavite State University, Indang, Cavite June 28, 2016; 1:00 PM; S.L. Lasap Hall, Administration Building, Cavite State University, Indang, Cavite

Bid Documents will be available only to prospective bidders upon payment of a non-refundable amount of Five Thousand Pesos Only (P 5,000.00) to the CAVITE STATE UNIVERSITY Cashier.

The CAVITE STATE UNIVERSITY (CvSU) assumes no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify bidders for any expenses incurred in the preparation of the bid. CvSU also reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids, to annul the bidding process, to reject all bids at any time prior to Contract Award without incurring any liability to the affected bidders, waive any required formality therein, and to award the Contract to the bidder whose bid proposal as evaluated is most advantageous to the University Approved by: (sgd) GILCHOR P. CUBILLO, PhD BAC Chairman

( T S - J U N E 9 , 2 016)

Activities

Schedule

1. Issuance of Bid Documents

June 7, 2016 to June 28, 2016; 8:00AM – 5:00PM

2. Pre-bid Conference

June 14, 2016; 1:30 PM; S.L. Lasap Hall, Administration Building, Cavite State University, Indang, Cavite

3. Opening of Bids

June 28, 2016; 1:30 PM; S.L. Lasap Hall, Administration Building, Cavite State University, Indang, Cavite

Bid Documents will be available only to prospective bidders upon payment of a non-refundable amount of Twenty Five Thousand Pesos Only (P 25,000.00) to the CAVITE STATE UNIVERSITY Cashier.

The CAVITE STATE UNIVERSITY (CvSU) assumes no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify bidders for any expenses incurred in the preparation of the bid. CvSU also reserves the right to accept or reject any or all bids, to annul the bidding process, to reject all bids at any time prior to Contract Award without incurring any liability to the affected bidders, waive any required formality therein, and to award the Contract to the bidder whose bid proposal as evaluated is most advantageous to the University.

Approved by: (sgd) GILCHOR P. CUBILLO, PhD BAC Chairman ( T S - J U N E 9 , 2 016)

Republic of the Philippines DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Republic of the Philippines Province of Bataan City of Balanga BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE OFFICE

National Capital Region DENR-NCR Building, National Ecology Center, East Avenue, Quezon City

REGIONAL BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE

Invitation to Bid No. Goods-037-2016

INVITATION TO BID PROJECT :

LOCATION : OWNER :

PROCUREMENT OF POTTING MEDIA IN CONNECTION WITH THE OPERATION OF THE ESTABLISHED MECHANIZED & MODERNIZED FOREST PROJECT DOST COMPOUND, TAGUIG CITY DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES – NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION

37

The Provincial Government of Bataan, through the General Fund intends to apply the below listed procurement w/ corresponding Approved Budget of the Contract (ABC). Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected a bid opening.

Name of Project

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources – National Capital Region (DENR-NCR), through FY 2016 and its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) intends to apply the sum of FOUR MILLION FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND PESOS (PhP4,400,000.00), hereby invites all interested Phil-GEPS registered contractors, manufacturers, suppliers, dealers, authorized franchised dealers to submit Letter of Intent (LOI) and to Bid for the above-stated project, to wit: Purchase Request (PR) No.

Quantity

Project

Approved Budget for the Contract (PhP)

2016-295

30,000 bags

Cocopeat

PhP3,000,000.00

2016-295

5,000 bags

Rice Hull

PhP 500,000.00

2016-295

5,000 bags

Carbonized Rice Hull

PhP 500,000.00

2016-295

4,000 bags

Saw Dust

PhP 400,000.00

TOTAL

PhP4,400,000.00

Eligibility Requirements or Complete Set of Pre-qualification forms and Bid Documents will be available for issuance at the Procurement Section / BAC Secretariat, 3rd Floor (Mezzanine), DENR-NCR Bldg., National Ecology Center Compound, East Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City with telephone number 3734399. A non-refundable fee of FIVE THOUSAND PESOS (PhP5,000.00) for the bidding documents.

All particulars relative to the bidding process, such as Eligibility Screening, Posting of Bid Security and Post-Qualifications shall be governed by the pertinent provision of R.A. 9184 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) and the latest guidelines issued by the GPPB.

ACTIVITY

DATE AND TIME

VENUE DENR-NCR Bulletin Board

Submission of Letter of Intent

June 6-22, 2016

Procurement Section/BAC Secretariat, 3 Floor, Mezzanine Flr., DENR-NCR Bldg., East Avenue, Quezon City

Issuance of Bidding Documents

June 6 to July 4, 2016 10:00 a.m.

GSS/BAC Secretariat, 3 rd Floor, Mezzanine Flr., DENR-NCR Bldg., East Avenue, Quezon City

Pre-Bid Conference

June 22, 2016 10:00 a.m.

Conference Room, 4th Flr., DENR-NCR Bldg., National Ecology Center Compound, East Ave., Diliman, Quezon City

Submission of Eligibility Documents and Financial Proposals

July 4, 2016, 10:00 a.m.

-do-

Evaluation

July 6, 2016, 10:00 a.m.

-do-

Preparation and Approval of Minutes of Meeting

June 8, 2016

July 11, 2016 10:00 a.m.

Preparation and Approval of Notice of Award (NOA)

July 15, 2016

Issuance of NOA

July 19, 2016

Preparation and Approval of Contract

July 21, 2016

Preparation and Approval of Notice to Proceed

July 22, 2016

Issuance of Notice to Proceed

July 26, 2016

Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.

Bidding is open to all interested bidders, whether local or foreign, subject to the conditions for eligibility provided in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”.

Interested bidders may obtain further information from Office of Bataan Bids & Awards Committeeand inspect the Bidding Documents from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at the same office.

Maximum Cost of Bidding Documents (in Philippine Peso) 500.00 1,000.00 5,000.00 10,000.00 25,000.00 50,000.00 75,000.00

500,000 and below More than 500,000 up to 1 Million More than 1 Million up to 5 Million More than 5 Million up to 10 Million More than 10 Million up to 50 Million More than 50 Million up to 500 Million More than 500 Million

The Provincial Government of Bataan will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on June 16, 2016 at 10:00 A.M at Provincial BAC Office, PEO Capitol Compound, Balanga City, Bataan, which shall beopen only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

Bids must be delivered on or before June 29, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. at Provincial BAC Office, PEO Capitol Compound, BalangaCity, Bataan. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated on IRR of RA 9184 and Bid Securing Declaration in standard form.

-doConference Room, 4th Flr., DENR-NCR Bldg., National Ecology Center Compound, East Ave., Diliman, Quezon City

The winning bidder has the option to deliver the items requested by the end-user with higher technical specification & better technology provided it will be beneficial to the government & will not incur additional expenses on the part of the procuring entity.

Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend opening of Bids at Bataan BAC Office. Late bids shall not be accepted.

In case of the above dates is declared a special Non-Working Holidays, it will automatically reset on the next working days.

Other necessary information deemed relevant by the Provincial Government of Bataan

Bids will be opened promptly on the above bidding date in the presence of participating bidders of their duly authorized representatives who chose to attend. Bids Prices shall be fixed. Adjustable price proposals shall be treated as non-responsive and shall be rejected.

All bids must be accompanied by a corresponding security bid bond in the form of Cash, Manager’s Check, Certified Check, Bank Draft or an equivalent amount in a freely convertible currency, or Surety Bond callable on demand issued by the GSIS or by any private insurance company duly accredited by the Insurance Commission and submitted to the undersigned c/o BAC Secretariat on the bidding date.

DENR-NCR, reserves the right to reject any or all bids at any time prior of contract, waive any defects therein, accept the bid, and award the contract to the bidder with the lowest calculated and responsive bid. The office assumes no responsibility to compensate or indemnify the bidder for any expense or loss that may be incurred for the preparation of the bids, nor does it guarantee that an award will be made.

Activities 1. Advertisement/Posting of Invitation to Bid 2. Eligibility Check 3. Issuance and availability of Bidding Documents 4. Request for Clarification 5. Opening of Bids

Schedule June 09 – 15, 2016 Refer to date of Opening of Bids June 09 – 29, 2016 June 17, 2016 June 29, 2016

The Provincial Government of Bataanreserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process, and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.

For further information, please refer to: Engr. Josephine R. Valenzuela Provincial BAC / PEO Bataan Provincial BAC / PEO Office, Capitol Compound, BalangaCity, Bataan 047-237-9316 bac@bataan.gov.ph

06 June 2016.

(SGD) DIR. SOFIO B. QUINTANA, Ph.D, CESO IV. Assistant Regional Director for Technical Services and Chairman, Bids and Awards Committee Office of the Assistant Regional Director, Technical Services DENR-NCR Building, National Ecology Center Compound, East Avenue, Quezon City

=P=2,926,596.40

The Provincial Government of Bataan now invites bids for the above listedProcurement.

Delivery of goods is requiredon or before the maturity date stipulated on contract.Bidders should have completed, at least one (1) contract that is similar to the contract to be bid.

The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.

Approved Budget for the Contract

June 6, 2016 June 6, 2016 June 6, 2016 June 8 & 15, 2016 rd

Awarding

Supply & Delivery of Medicines, Medical, Dental & Laboratory Supplies for the use of PHO Various Programs, Bataan

Bid documents will be available only to eligible bidders upon payment of a non-refundable amount of using standard rates approved by GPPB as stated on their Resolution No. 042012 listed below.

Given hereunder is the schedule of the Bidding Process, to wit: Publication • PHILGEPS • DENR-NCR Web • DENR-NCR Bulletin Board • Newspaper

1.

Approved Budget of the Contract (ABC)

(TS-JUNE 9, 2016)

(TS-JUNE 9, 2016)

(SGD) ENRICO T. YUZON BAC CHAIRMAN

SENATORELECT and outgoing Sarangani Rep. Emmanuel Pacquiao has maintained his title as the wealthiest member of the House of Representatives.

Based on a summary of lawmakers’ Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth for 2015 furnished by the House of Representatives’ Records Management Service, Pacquiao almost doubled his net worth in a span of one year, from P1.688 billion in 2014 to P3,268,200,088 in 2015.

The records showed that Pacquiao’s total assets amounted to P3.365 billion: P1.654 billion in real property and P1.710billion personal property; his liabilities amounted to P97.405 million.

Pacquiao, an eightdivision world boxing champion, has been the richest members of the Lower since 2010, with a net worth of over a billion.

Next to Pacquiao in the billionaire’s club is Negros Occidental Rep. Julio Ledesma IV, with a net worth increasing

by P177 million, from P827 million in 2014 to P1.004,951,837.92 billion the following year.

Third on the list is outgoing Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., with a net worth of P941.6 million; followed by former First Lady and now Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Marcos, P917.8 million and Negros Occidental Rep. Alfredo Benitez, P880 million.

Las Piñas Rep. Mark Villar and his wife, Diwa party-list Rep. Emmeline Aglipay Villar, landed on the sixth place. The couple jointly declared a net worth of P689.5 million; followed by Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, P475.6 million; former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, P393.9 million and no liabilities; Rizal Rep. Joel Roy Duavit, P302.6 million and Maguindanao Rep. Zajid Mangudadatu, P225.9 million.

Meanwhile, Anakpawis Rep. Fernando Hicap chalked up the lowest declared SALN, with P43,239.14, a decrease from the P95,572 he declared in 2014.

Hicap was followed by Kalinga party-list Rep. Abigail Faye Ferriol, with a net worth of P75,150.

t h u r s d aY : j u n e 9, 2 0 1 6

A7

NEWS

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

La Niña easing out El Niño— Pagasa THe Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration has issued a La Niña watch as the country’s dry spell drew to a close.

The latest Pagasa advisory stated that the el Niño was weakening and “in its decaying stage,” and that the La Niña will develop within the second half of 2016.

“With this current development, La Niña Watch is now in effect,” the Pagasa advisory stated.

Maribel enriquez, chief metereological officer of the PagasaZamboanga station, said the incoming La Niña spell bodes for stronger rains and more floods in this city, where heavy rain is expected to fall in July. enriquez said that the western part of the country, including Zamboanga City, will be affected by the La Niña because of the southwest monsoon that is set to be experienced from June to October this year.

“During the southwest monsoon season, the southwest monsoon is enhanced by the typhoons coming in, so flooding is experienced in Zamboanga City,” she said. enriquez said heavy rainfall and floods are expected to occur during the peak of the rainy season from August to October.

At least seven to 12 typhoons are also expected to develop and enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility from May to October this year. enriquez also reported that this city was no longer under a dry spell or drought status as of June.

Mayor Ma. Isabelle ClimacoSalazar has ordered the City engineer’s Office to undertake declogging of drainage systems and dredging of rivers to prevent floods and other disasters in the light of the forecast La Niña.

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau of the Department of environment and Natural Resources has identified eight of this city’s 98 barangays as prone to landslides and 55 barangays as flood-prone areas. PNA

PhilRice pushes six new flood-tolerant rice varieties

By Ferdie G. Domingo

SCIENCE CITY OF MUÑOZ, Nueva Ecija—The Philippine Rice Research Institute has identified six rice varieties which can withstand up to two weeks of submergence under water during the rainy season and for planting by Filipino farmers amid the threats of La Niña.

Dr. Norvie Manigbas, head of the PhilRice’s plant breeding and biotechnology division, named the submergence-tolerant varieties as PSB Rc14, Rc68, NSIC Rc9, Rc222, PSB Rc18, NSIC Rc194.

Manigbas said PSB Rc14, Rc68, NSIC Rc9 and Rc222 stand 100 centimeters at most and have

strong stems that can endure strong winds of between 40 to 60 kilometers per hour.

The PhilRice official said rain-fed areas are prone to flooding and the varieties suited for these are PSB Rc18 (Ala), which can withstand 5-7 days of complete submergence; NSIC Rc194 (Submarino 1), which

can survive, grow and develop even after 10-14 days of complete submergence; and PSB Rc68 (Sacobia), a submergence-tolerant and a drought-resistant variety.

Rc222 yields up to 10 tons per hectare, while Rc18 yields a maximum of 8.1 tons per hectare. Rc194 yields 3.5 t/ha., Rc14 6.1 t/ha., and Rc68 4.4 t/ha.

Manigbas said what is phenomenal is that when submerged during the vegetative stage, these varieties can recover, with farmers getting maximum harvests even under stressful conditions.

He also asked farmers to reduce fertilizer application, adding that while fertilizers are beneficial to plants, they may cause lodging when used in high amounts.

“Fertilizers cannot be maximized, as there is a limited amount of sunlight during the rainy season. Depending on soil analysis results and recommended nutrient requirement rates, it is better to reduce fertilizer application rates by 20-30 percent in wet season,” Manigbas explained.

For rainfed crops, he encouraged farmers to practice synchronous planting in their communities as this reduces incidence of pests and diseases in a specific area and minimizes yield loss.

Manigbas explained that in the case of irrigated lowlands, land preparation should be done at the onset of heavy rains so that fields are well-soaked in water. Levees and dikes should be repaired to avoid water loss.

Weaving dreams. The first-ever weeklong Catanduanes Abaca Festival promoted and celebrated the abaca industry in Catanduanes, and showcased many abaca products. Various events were held to highlight the important role of abaca in Catanduanes’ economic and socioenvironment development. TEDDY PELAEZ

Suspected drug lord killed in Gensan raid A SuSPeCTeD “drug lord” on top of the Police Regional Office 12’s drug watch list was killed in an alleged shootout with police operatives in a housing village in General Santos City on Tuesday night.

Supt. Maximo Sebastian Jr., chief of the PRO-12’s Regional Anti-Illegal Drug Special Operations Task Force, identified the slain suspect as Conrado Medino alias Cocoy, who was listed as a notorious drug distributor and reportedly a part of a “big-time” syndicate operating in the region.

He said Medino was gunned down by joint RAIDSOTF and Regional Public Safety Battalion-12 operatives after allegedly resisting

arrest during a raid on his family’s housing compound along Marcos Avenue, Litan Ville in Barangay Sinawal at around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday.

“He [Medino] suddenly opened fired when we entered the compound so we were forced to return fire,” he said in an interview over a local television station.

The suspect sustained several gunshot wounds in various parts of his body and was declared dead on arrival at the Dr. Jorge P. Royeca Hospital.

Police recovered at the scene Medino’s Colt caliber .45 handgun with six live bullets and a spent shell.

Sebastian said they launched the operation based on four search warrants is-

sued by Regional Trial Court Branch 35 Judge Oscar Noel.

He said the main subjects were the houses of Medino, his mother elizabeth, his brother Mark, his son Russel Cerera, and his live-in partner Jenelyn Balansag in barangay Sinawal and Apopong.

During a search at the slain suspect’s house, the police official said, they recovered two opened plastic sachets of suspected metamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu, various drug paraphernalia and six motorcycles.

They also found four installed closed-circuit television cameras and related electronic devices that are now being evaluated by police anti-cybercrime group personnel, Sebastian said. PNA

Refuge. European Union Ambassador Franz Jessen and United Nations Develop-

ment Program-Philippines country director Titon Mitra led the turnover of community evacuation centers to the local governments of the municipalities of Cabucgayan and Biliran in Biliran province. MEL CASPE

T h u R S D AY : J u N E 9, 2 0 1 6

A8

opinion

ADELLE chuA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

opinion

DuTy cAlls flOREncIO fIAnzA

trouble iN Camp Crame

[ EDI TORI A L ]

Nevermore PRESIDEnT-ELECT Rodrigo Duterte said Monday he would no longer give media interviews until the end of his six-year term. he reportedly wants to avoid making more mistakes after earning the ire of numerous sectors in several press conferences he has called since emerging winner of the elections held last month. This week, too, two human rights advocates from the United nations called him out for his irresponsible statements that provoked violence.

Mr. Duterte said he would instead use government channels and his designated spokesmen to bring his message to the people. “no interviews, no criticisms. no interview, no nothing. I’ll just shut up. I don’t want [to give interviews] anymore. I’m really sorry but I’m boycotting the press until the end of my term,” the usually tough-talking president-elect said, sounding just a bit wounded at the criticism he had reaped from his statements on the media and on women.

Last week, Mr. Duterte practically justified the killing of media workers by branding them as corrupt, only to qualify his own words by classifying journalists into three and saying that only the extortionists deserved the punishment that befell them. he also wolf-whistled at a female reporter and then later on denied that his whistling had a sexual meaning. he cursed the Un, branded it a hypocrite, and warned everybody against messing with him. we find Mr. Duterte’s no-interview pronouncement unrealistic. First, his office would, at some point, require him to speak directly to members of the media. Spokesmen could only do so much; no representative will clarify what goes on in Mr. Duterte’s mind, only Mr. Duterte himself will. And this goes for business-as-usual, everyday Palace events. what if there is a crisis of some sort? The people would certainly like to hear from their leader.

Second, not speaking at all is not in his nature. Mr. Duterte seems to bask in the attention of the media, and relishes the fact that they would easily pick up his controversial, cleversounding statements. we find it difficult to believe that he could endure the next six years hearing other people speak for him. we imagine he would want to interject every now and then to lend his own color to the words. of course, we also expect one or another of his supporters to jump in and say that these words were “taken out of context” or that Mr. Duterte was either joking or just being figurative when he said he would not speak to the press again.

But there is a better, albeit not as obvious, way to avoid gaffes and widespread criticism every time one opens one’s mouth. It is talking as a national leader would—prudent and circumspect. It is focusing on substance instead of on sounding funny, clever and tough. It is offering concrete solutions although they may not scream, and refraining from alienating those who could provide constructive criticism.

Mr. Duterte, like his predecessor, won the elections by promising change. he can begin by not resisting the change his sacred office demands of him.

still looNy I know noynoy Aquino is now irrelevant and that we should all move on from the six years of ineptitude, insensitivity and corruption that marked his feckless reign. But like a child throwing a tantrum to attract attention, the lame duck occupying Malacañan Palace continues to say the darndest things just to grab some of the limelight that he’s

been sorely deprived of lately.

Frankly, I don’t want to talk about Aquino anymore. But I cannot allow him to keep revising recent history just so he can delude himself that he is, as his few remaining supporters claim, “the best president the Philippines ever had.”

Aquino’s exit interview with Rappler’s Maria Ressa was truly an exercise in political surrealism. I know it’s somehow based on reality, but it’s a reality that’s been hopelessly bent and twisted out of shape.

Take, for instance, Aquino’s stated belief that the recent victory of Rodrigo Duterte is

not a rejection of his administration but the result of a better-run campaign based on “differentiation.” “They really mounted [a] better campaign —that was the right tone, right messaging, right time,” Aquino told Ressa.

A believer in propaganda to the end, Aquino cannot seem to accept that his own candidate’s message of continuity was rejected last May 9. And by reducing Duterte’s victory to strategic superiority, Aquino insulted the millions who ignored Mar Roxas and voted for the candidate who was as close as you can get to being

A9

That we survived six years of Aquino is a testament to our resiliency as a people.

Roxas’ and Aquino’s polar opposite.

Then there’s Aquino’s denial that he protected his buddies even if doing so meant sacrificing the country’s interest.

Stealing a line Duterte used, apropos of Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, Aquino said: “Friendship stops when the country’s interest is at stake.”

After saying this, Aquino proceeded to defend his transportation secretary, the sainted Joseph Abaya, from accusations of corruption. Surreal, I tell you.

And how could it be an Aquino version of events if there wasn’t the obligatory blaming of others, everyone except himself? “Boy Sisi”

Aquino, in his wisdom, said he could not make Roxas win because “I had to run the country while he was campaigning also.”

The man is a basket case. And the fact that the country survived six years of his so-called governance is a testament to our resiliency as a people.

Thank God the Loony Tunes administration is over. Even if in Aquino’s twisted mind, it will probably go on forever, with him laughing maniacally at the wheel.

Published Monday to Sunday by Philippine Manila Standard Publishing Inc. at 6/F Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas, corner Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City.

Telephone numbers 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558 (connecting all departments), (Editorial), 832-5546, (Advertising), 832-

*** President-elect Rodrigo Duterte seems to have chosen the members of his Cabinet well. So far, only two nominees have been met with stiff resistance from various sectors—flamboyant lawyer Salvador Panelo, who has been picked by Duterte to be presidential spokesperson, and Las Piñas Rep. Mark Villar—the son of former Senate president Manuel Villar and Senator Cynthia Villar—the next secretary of the Department of Public works and highways.

5550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www. manilastandardtoday.com E-mail: contact@thestandard.com.ph

MST ONLINE

can be accessed at: www.manilastandardtoday.com

MEMBER

PPI

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

Panelo is being opposed by media and human-rights advocates who remember his former role as lawyer of the Ampatuan clan that pulled off the Maguindanao Massacre of 2009.

Villar is being opposed on very serious conflict-of-interest charges, having served as president of his family’s Crown Asia Corp. and as managing director of Crown Asia’s parent company, Vista Land.

As pointed out by Senator Sergio osmeña III, Villar may be qualified

Continued on A11

MST Management, Inc. Philip G. Romualdez Arnold C. Liong Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno Ron Ryan S. Buguis

Chairman President & Chief Executive Officer Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Finance Officer

Anita F. Grefal Treasury Manager Maan Ilustre Advertising and Marketing Head Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager

wITh the impending major reshuffle in the Philippine national Police when Roland dela Rosa becomes its next chief, another blow was dealt the organization when President-elect Rodrigo Duterte asked three unnamed highranking police generals to resign due to corruption. he did not elaborate on what exactly these three officers have done. we therefore do not know whether these officers are involved in illegal drugs, illegal gambling or are simply pocketing government funds the good old fashion way, by way of conversion. The current PnP chief Ric Marquez has already said that there was no evidence pointing to any Camp Crame senior officer’s dealing in illegal drugs. Even the incoming PnP chief when interviewed on TV could not provide any specific information on the matter.

This pronouncement of Presidentelect Duterte is putting every senior officer on edge and they are naturally in a quandary as to what to do. Police corruption is an age-old police problem and finding ways to stop or minimize the problem has been a big challenge for every president. But as we have seen so far, it has been a very difficult undertaking. The outgoing administration of President Benigno Aquino made anti-corruption its mainstay, but Aquino is ending his presidency with his gang of merry thieves a lot richer. when President Fidel V. Ramos took office in 1992, corruption was the underlying reason why under Interior and Local Government Secretary Raffy Alunan, about 63 senior officers of the PnP were made to retire or resign, paving the way for accelerating the promotions of middle-level officers like myself. Maybe the trick is in the method of doing it. President-elect Duterte does not observe the niceties of diplomacy. his profanity is well-known and he says what he wants to say. But even if this method gets the job done, Duterte has to be careful that only corrupt people are targeted and, lest we forget, even these people are entitled to due process.

As an old hand, I have seen how corruption has grown to the monster that it is today. But to a large degree, the PnP as an organization has so far remained true to its duty and that is the maintenance of law and order throughout the land. what has tarnished the PnP’s reputation in a way was the entry of big-time organized crime like illegal gambling and illegal drugs. Illegal gambling used to be local. This meant local gambling operators bribing the local police. But some bright people thought of organizing

Continued on A11

Rolando G. Estabillo Jojo A. Robles Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Francis Lagniton Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

Publisher Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Associate Editors News Editor City Editor Senior Deskman Art Director Chief Photographer

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

T h u R S D AY : J u N E 9, 2 0 1 6

A8

opinion

ADELLE chuA EDITOR

lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

opinion

DuTy cAlls flOREncIO fIAnzA

trouble iN Camp Crame

[ EDI TORI A L ]

Nevermore PRESIDEnT-ELECT Rodrigo Duterte said Monday he would no longer give media interviews until the end of his six-year term. he reportedly wants to avoid making more mistakes after earning the ire of numerous sectors in several press conferences he has called since emerging winner of the elections held last month. This week, too, two human rights advocates from the United nations called him out for his irresponsible statements that provoked violence.

Mr. Duterte said he would instead use government channels and his designated spokesmen to bring his message to the people. “no interviews, no criticisms. no interview, no nothing. I’ll just shut up. I don’t want [to give interviews] anymore. I’m really sorry but I’m boycotting the press until the end of my term,” the usually tough-talking president-elect said, sounding just a bit wounded at the criticism he had reaped from his statements on the media and on women.

Last week, Mr. Duterte practically justified the killing of media workers by branding them as corrupt, only to qualify his own words by classifying journalists into three and saying that only the extortionists deserved the punishment that befell them. he also wolf-whistled at a female reporter and then later on denied that his whistling had a sexual meaning. he cursed the Un, branded it a hypocrite, and warned everybody against messing with him. we find Mr. Duterte’s no-interview pronouncement unrealistic. First, his office would, at some point, require him to speak directly to members of the media. Spokesmen could only do so much; no representative will clarify what goes on in Mr. Duterte’s mind, only Mr. Duterte himself will. And this goes for business-as-usual, everyday Palace events. what if there is a crisis of some sort? The people would certainly like to hear from their leader.

Second, not speaking at all is not in his nature. Mr. Duterte seems to bask in the attention of the media, and relishes the fact that they would easily pick up his controversial, cleversounding statements. we find it difficult to believe that he could endure the next six years hearing other people speak for him. we imagine he would want to interject every now and then to lend his own color to the words. of course, we also expect one or another of his supporters to jump in and say that these words were “taken out of context” or that Mr. Duterte was either joking or just being figurative when he said he would not speak to the press again.

But there is a better, albeit not as obvious, way to avoid gaffes and widespread criticism every time one opens one’s mouth. It is talking as a national leader would—prudent and circumspect. It is focusing on substance instead of on sounding funny, clever and tough. It is offering concrete solutions although they may not scream, and refraining from alienating those who could provide constructive criticism.

Mr. Duterte, like his predecessor, won the elections by promising change. he can begin by not resisting the change his sacred office demands of him.

still looNy I know noynoy Aquino is now irrelevant and that we should all move on from the six years of ineptitude, insensitivity and corruption that marked his feckless reign. But like a child throwing a tantrum to attract attention, the lame duck occupying Malacañan Palace continues to say the darndest things just to grab some of the limelight that he’s

been sorely deprived of lately.

Frankly, I don’t want to talk about Aquino anymore. But I cannot allow him to keep revising recent history just so he can delude himself that he is, as his few remaining supporters claim, “the best president the Philippines ever had.”

Aquino’s exit interview with Rappler’s Maria Ressa was truly an exercise in political surrealism. I know it’s somehow based on reality, but it’s a reality that’s been hopelessly bent and twisted out of shape.

Take, for instance, Aquino’s stated belief that the recent victory of Rodrigo Duterte is

not a rejection of his administration but the result of a better-run campaign based on “differentiation.” “They really mounted [a] better campaign —that was the right tone, right messaging, right time,” Aquino told Ressa.

A believer in propaganda to the end, Aquino cannot seem to accept that his own candidate’s message of continuity was rejected last May 9. And by reducing Duterte’s victory to strategic superiority, Aquino insulted the millions who ignored Mar Roxas and voted for the candidate who was as close as you can get to being

A9

That we survived six years of Aquino is a testament to our resiliency as a people.

Roxas’ and Aquino’s polar opposite.

Then there’s Aquino’s denial that he protected his buddies even if doing so meant sacrificing the country’s interest.

Stealing a line Duterte used, apropos of Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, Aquino said: “Friendship stops when the country’s interest is at stake.”

After saying this, Aquino proceeded to defend his transportation secretary, the sainted Joseph Abaya, from accusations of corruption. Surreal, I tell you.

And how could it be an Aquino version of events if there wasn’t the obligatory blaming of others, everyone except himself? “Boy Sisi”

Aquino, in his wisdom, said he could not make Roxas win because “I had to run the country while he was campaigning also.”

The man is a basket case. And the fact that the country survived six years of his so-called governance is a testament to our resiliency as a people.

Thank God the Loony Tunes administration is over. Even if in Aquino’s twisted mind, it will probably go on forever, with him laughing maniacally at the wheel.

Published Monday to Sunday by Philippine Manila Standard Publishing Inc. at 6/F Universal Re Building, 106 Paseo de Roxas, corner Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City.

Telephone numbers 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558 (connecting all departments), (Editorial), 832-5546, (Advertising), 832-

*** President-elect Rodrigo Duterte seems to have chosen the members of his Cabinet well. So far, only two nominees have been met with stiff resistance from various sectors—flamboyant lawyer Salvador Panelo, who has been picked by Duterte to be presidential spokesperson, and Las Piñas Rep. Mark Villar—the son of former Senate president Manuel Villar and Senator Cynthia Villar—the next secretary of the Department of Public works and highways.

5550. P.O. Box 2933, Manila Central Post Office, Manila. Website: www. manilastandardtoday.com E-mail: contact@thestandard.com.ph

MST ONLINE

can be accessed at: www.manilastandardtoday.com

MEMBER

PPI

Philippine Press Institute The National Association of Philippine Newspapers

Panelo is being opposed by media and human-rights advocates who remember his former role as lawyer of the Ampatuan clan that pulled off the Maguindanao Massacre of 2009.

Villar is being opposed on very serious conflict-of-interest charges, having served as president of his family’s Crown Asia Corp. and as managing director of Crown Asia’s parent company, Vista Land.

As pointed out by Senator Sergio osmeña III, Villar may be qualified

Continued on A11

MST Management, Inc. Philip G. Romualdez Arnold C. Liong Former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno Ron Ryan S. Buguis

Chairman President & Chief Executive Officer Board Member & Chief Legal Adviser Finance Officer

Anita F. Grefal Treasury Manager Maan Ilustre Advertising and Marketing Head Edgar M. Valmorida Circulation Manager

wITh the impending major reshuffle in the Philippine national Police when Roland dela Rosa becomes its next chief, another blow was dealt the organization when President-elect Rodrigo Duterte asked three unnamed highranking police generals to resign due to corruption. he did not elaborate on what exactly these three officers have done. we therefore do not know whether these officers are involved in illegal drugs, illegal gambling or are simply pocketing government funds the good old fashion way, by way of conversion. The current PnP chief Ric Marquez has already said that there was no evidence pointing to any Camp Crame senior officer’s dealing in illegal drugs. Even the incoming PnP chief when interviewed on TV could not provide any specific information on the matter.

This pronouncement of Presidentelect Duterte is putting every senior officer on edge and they are naturally in a quandary as to what to do. Police corruption is an age-old police problem and finding ways to stop or minimize the problem has been a big challenge for every president. But as we have seen so far, it has been a very difficult undertaking. The outgoing administration of President Benigno Aquino made anti-corruption its mainstay, but Aquino is ending his presidency with his gang of merry thieves a lot richer. when President Fidel V. Ramos took office in 1992, corruption was the underlying reason why under Interior and Local Government Secretary Raffy Alunan, about 63 senior officers of the PnP were made to retire or resign, paving the way for accelerating the promotions of middle-level officers like myself. Maybe the trick is in the method of doing it. President-elect Duterte does not observe the niceties of diplomacy. his profanity is well-known and he says what he wants to say. But even if this method gets the job done, Duterte has to be careful that only corrupt people are targeted and, lest we forget, even these people are entitled to due process.

As an old hand, I have seen how corruption has grown to the monster that it is today. But to a large degree, the PnP as an organization has so far remained true to its duty and that is the maintenance of law and order throughout the land. what has tarnished the PnP’s reputation in a way was the entry of big-time organized crime like illegal gambling and illegal drugs. Illegal gambling used to be local. This meant local gambling operators bribing the local police. But some bright people thought of organizing

Continued on A11

Rolando G. Estabillo Jojo A. Robles Ramonchito L. Tomeldan Chin Wong/Ray S. Eñano Francis Lagniton Joyce Pangco Pañares Adelle Chua Romel J. Mendez Roberto Cabrera

Publisher Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Associate Editors News Editor City Editor Senior Deskman Art Director Chief Photographer

Emil P. Jurado Chairman Emeritus, Editiorial Board

T H U R S D AY : J U N E 9, 2 0 1 6

A10

OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

Du30 Doesn’t mean what he says SANTA Banana, will the nation have Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte, the presidentelect for the next six years, for a chief executive who doesn’t mean what he says?

I ask this question since it is what Du30’s spokesman Salvador Panelo and people close to him seem to be telling us whenever the incoming president is criticized for his statements.

United Nations called Du30’s pronouncements “irresponsible and dangerous,” unbecoming of a president, Panelo was quick to say that Du30 did not mean it that way. My gulay, what does Du30 mean when he says something? If a president doesn’t mean what he says, should we trust him to lead us in the next six years?

Now, we are told by some people around Du30 that when he said he would no longer give media interviews

The only way I think of revamping Customs is to privatize it. Other countries have done the same. It’s only through privatization that the Du30 administration can change the culture of the most corrupt agency of government.

When Du30 wolfwhistled a pretty pregnant reporter who was asking him questions, a crime under his own ordinance as mayor, he said it was his freedom of expression. Panelo interpreted it to be rather a compliment. And whenever Du30 comes out with his obscene and indecent remarks about the opposite sex, his spokesman claims that they should not be taken literally.

Tough-talking Du30 came out with a tirade against corrupt and extortionist mediamen whom he felt deserve, together with drug lords and traffickers, to be killed by private citizens, who will then get medals and even rewards.

Again his spokesman defended him, saying he was quoted out of context.

Likewise, when the

throughout his term, he meant only during his term as mayor of Davao.

He was criticized for isolating himself from the very people who voted for him, and from the nation as a whole.

Santa Banana, have we elected a president whose statements must always be explained by his spokesman or subordinates, who claim to know him better than anyone of us? It would seem so since Du30 himself had said that people seem to misinterpret what he does or says. To my mind, when a president says something and doesn’t mean it, and must always be explained by his spokesman and the people around him, he cannot be trusted as a leader and his words must always be taken with a grain of salt.

I believe that a presi-

Dealing Drugs anD Death WITH less than a month to go before Rodrigo Duterte wields the most powerful political influence in the land, already there have been smatterings of what a Digong presidency would mean at the street level. Such smatterings were sparked in part by his recent statement that empowers ordinary Filipinos to unite with law enforcement agencies in solving the drug problem in their own communities.

Various cities have recalibrated and intensified each of their own anti-drug campaigns. Just last Monday, buy-bust and raid operations were conducted in Parañaque and Quezon City, resulting in arrests and confiscation of drugs and paraphernalia. The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), on the other hand, recently asked the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to look into the bank accounts of a policeman earlier caught with shabu and around P7 million in cash in a raid on his house.

While critics might throw shade on our law enforcement agencies for wanting to get advance “pogi points” for the incoming administration, we have to admit that we are already seeing bright spots for the country’s future in the hands of the next president. Still, the shade is rightfully thrown when there is the imminent threat of reshufdent must always be honest to the people and forthright, and must never resort to doublespeak like when he said that drug lords and traffickers must be killed even by private citizens, encouraging vigilantism, and making the country a “Wild Wild West,” echoing the warning of Senator-elect Ping Lacson, a former Philippine National Police chief. *** The many rats including House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte who abandoned the sinking ship of the Liberal Party, and the members of other political parties who joined them and lined up to pay homage to Du30 to ensure the speakership of Rep. Pantaleon Alvares, now call themselves the “Super Majority.”

The members of the ruling party in the Senate, with Senator Kiko Pimentel being groomed to be the new Senate president, are also calling themselves the “Super Majority.” Whatever they are called, their self-

fling and heads rolling. Whether our men in uniform are in survival mode or beast mode, let’s give credit where credit is due: Thank you for making our communities freer from the shackles of drugs. But please keep this up and catch bigger fish.

After all, public support for these law-enforcement initiatives are still on a high point, and that point might not go down anytime soon, not at the eve of the Duterte administration. It is precisely public support that gives the spirit to the muscle of our police and intelligence agents. Without the cooperation of concerned citizens in the community, the police will have no information, no lead, no access, and no moral high ground upon which their anti-illegal drug platform can stand.

And we need not go too far to show how public support has contributed to eliminating drug syndicates in the country. Duterte’s overwhelming win in the presidential elections was enough reason for foreign drug lords to reportedly close down their shops, pack up their bags and bid good riddance to a country in the cusp of change. Change indeed came

interests come first rather than the needs of the people who elected them to office.

But, what is amusing to me is that both the incoming Speaker of the House of Representatives and the president of the Senate vow they won’t be rubber stamps of the incoming president. Come again, Rep. Alvarez and Senator Kiko, not rubber stamps when both chambers will now be headed by members of PDP-Laban?

That, to me, is the tragedy of our kind of politics. Most legislators want to become members of the majority to get the most benefits on the pretext of looking after their constituencies. It’s called political patronage, whose endless cycle promotes corruption.

The president-elect vows to end not only criminality and trafficking of illegal drugs, but corruption. With political patronage the name of the game in both the Senate and House, and resulting in corruption,

to their minds—otherwise, they would be dodging bullets aimed at their brains.

Public outrage against illegal drugs is still on an upward trajectory, and it has been moving the needle of law enforcement and government policy ever since the 2016 election campaign began. It definitely hasn’t stopped after the elections, and it definitely won’t stop with the deaths of five youths during a recent rave party. That fateful night in that Pasay concert gave the public some hard lessons: that the scourge of illegal drugs has taken our youth, that it permeates through socioeconomic divisions, and that our law enforcement has a long way to go in terms of imposing preventive measures against this sinister permeation.

The drug dealers have dealt death both fast and slow, and less merciful than a bullet in the head.

The deaths of the five partygoers relatively came swiftly by attacking their hearts, compared to how drugs have been slowly sucking the life away from the addicts and their families, needle by needle, session after session. Congress needs to heed public outrage and augment law enforcement not just to go after the death dealers, but to save the lives these villains try to ruin. How to serve that justice— may it be fast or slow—could be open to discussion.

how in the world can we take Du30’s word for it? *** The truth is coming out that Vice Presidentelect Leni Robredo won as a result of massive fraud and cheating by both the Commission on Elections and Smartmatic-TIM by using what they call “Secret Fourth Server.” This server was kept from the public, and was used in the reported cheating that favored Robredo and gave zero votes to Senator Bongbong Marcos in so many places nationwide.

This “Secret Fourth Server” inserted into the automated election system was never divulged to the public and was never the subject of a source code review. Santa Banana, it’s getting from bad to worse for Comelec Chairman Andy Bautista and the Smartmatic, clearly indicating a big conspiracy to manipulate the results of the May 9 polls in favor of the administration candidates Mar Roxas and Robredo.

In the case of Mar, the

margin between him and Du30 was too big at more than six million. But, in the case of Leni, it was much less in the initial counting, just over one million.

My gulay, both the Comelec and Smartmatic must have told by BS Aquino, “anybody, but Marcos.”

If I can think of any BS Aquino legacy, it’s in frustrating the people’s will last May 9. *** Because of space constraints. I was not able to explain fully in an earlier column when I wrote that the new Customs Commissioner Nick Faeldon, a marine captain, may have to fire everybody at that bureau if he wants to end graft and corruption there. I said that even the security guards were on the take.

In my earlier days as a business editor of the defunct Philippine Herald, I covered Customs for many years, and I know the bureau inside out where everybody from

Continued on A11

T H U R S D AY : J U N E 9, 2 0 1 6

A11

OPINION lettertotheeditor@thestandard.com.ph

ChinA’s AlArMing deBt roundABout

By Andy Mukherjee CHINA’S debt binge, Goldman Sachs says, may be far worse than people imagine.

As Tracy Alloway of Bloomberg News notes, the investment bank’s proprietary metric puts credit creation last year at 24.6 trillion yuan ($3.7 trillion), far ahead of both new money supply and total social financing.

Credit creation in China last year: $3.7 trillion This is the amount that households and companies channeled into non-government debt over the course of 2015, according to Goldman’s calculations. Part of it came from money deposited with banks, while another part skipped the deposit route altogether and went straight into shadow-banking investments

Trouble... From A9 the operation to become the way it is today—a truly national undertaking involving billions of pesos benefiting politicians, policemen and other entities. It is now very difficult to stop. Part of the reason is that some gambling operators are now in government. Even if the money involved in illegal gambling was huge, this is dwarfed by the money in the illegal drugs trade. As one officer I used to know said once, “I thought the money was in illegal gambling until I was assigned to a narcotics unit.” Even if we knew that illegal gambling was going on under our very noses, there seemed to be a conspiracy of silence. We do not hear anything from the media, local officials and the police. And the public seems to accept this as a fact of life.

The illegal drug trade, on the other hand, is altogether a different matter. This has the potential to destroy us as a nation. And the problem is

such as wealth-management products and mutual funds, as well as insurance and trust plans.

Debt feast The overall number is staggering. To put it in perspective, it took US companies and their subsidiaries three years to raise $4 trillion from international bond markets. How could credit demand in the People’s Republic possibly be growing at such breakneck speed?

The one-word answer, according to Mark Artherton at London-based research consultancy Ecstrat, is “financialization.”

This occurs when instead of linking savers with real borrowers, banks become a funding mechanism for other financial borrowers. One way to see that’s growing. Already there are credible reports of the involvement of foreign organizations operating in the country. In the past several weeks, drug laboratories were raided and almost all were allegedly rented by foreign nationals who were almost always not present when the raids were conducted. Almost always also, if some foreign nationals were caught, they were able to escape or post bail. Why? There are also anecdotal stories about vehicles full of money parked in the metropolis ready to be used to bribe law enforcers in case of arrest of drug dealers. The recent case of a marine officer who was caught when a drug laboratory was raided but was subsequently granted bail is a case in point. What was he really doing there? An undercover operation? But there are procedures to be followed in this kind of operation. This case only raises more questions about the involvement of government personnel in the illegal drugs trade. Has

Still... From A9 for the DPWH job, but he should not accept it because his family’s connections with the real estate industry. Transparency and Accountability Network executive director Victor Lazatin also pointed out that Villar’s appointment would violate the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, which bars public officials from directly or indirectly having any financial or material interest in any transaction requiring the approval of their respective offices.

Lazatin added that the fear of the conflict is not unfounded. Aside from Vista Land, the Villars also have another business interest that presents a clear conflict of interest with the congressman’s appointment as DPWH secretary.

But aside from working as a top executive of Vista Land, the family of Villar also have a controlling interest in a water-supply com-

indeed the case in China is to follow Artherton’s lead and break domestic credit claims down by debtors.

By absolute value, companies and individuals have borrowed the most. That’s only to be expected. But to get an idea of their relative growth, ignore the difference in starting points and set all three categories to 100 in January of 2009. Now, it’s the financial debtors jumping off the charts—with 850-percent growth in a little over seven years.

When banks lend to financiers Domestic credit in China is growing for all debtors, but booming for financial borrowers.

The financial system’s role an economy resembles the shape of the letter T, with it penetrated to the very core of our law enforcement organizations that we are now on the verge of becoming a narco state like some countries in South America? This is too horrible to even contemplate. But money has a way of corrupting even the best of men. Maybe President-elect Duterte is right to make an exception when it comes to the illegal drug trade. Maybe we really should put to death those big-time drug dealers who will be caught and convicted of drug dealing.

As for dealing with corrupt police officials, the incoming administration seems to be using a different tack than previous administrations. It is also calling on the public to exercise their right of citizen’s arrests to kill known drug dealers. This could be a recipe for disaster. I do believe, however, that once President-elect Duterte becomes the president, he will change. After all, he is supposed to be the first one to enforce the laws of the land. Not the first one to violate them.

pany. As DPWH secretary, Villar will have to recuse himself, at the very least, when deliberations on projects involving proposals of that company, PrimeWater Infrastructure Corp.

PrimeWater, which the Villar family controls, has, among other pending projects, a bulk water supply system project with the Metro Iloilo Water District, a joint venture with the Lingayen Water District for operating and managing Lingayen’s water supply system, another bulk water supply project with the Daraga Water District to use the Banadero Basin for the water supply of Daraga, Albay, and a project for the supply of water to the Zamboanga City Special Economic Zone Authority. PrimeWater is one of several companies angling for a bulk water supply project with the Baguio Water District.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: It would have been much easier if someone else other than Villar headed up DPWH. It’s that simple.

one of its arms extending to savers, and the other to borrowers. Think of a lightly financialized economy as a smallish cluster of Ts. In a highly financialized economy—like the US of 2008 and China today—the financial system takes on the appearance of a long string, like TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT. Not only is the level of financialization in China unusually high, it’s also responsible for the astounding pace of credit creation. To see how, return to that portion of household and corporate savings that Goldman estimates goes into shadowbanking products, and plot it against banks’ fresh credit to other financiers.

The two are moving remarkably in tandem.

Financialization drives credit growth Banks’ balance sheets tell a similar story. As late as 2012, when Chinese lenders reported their “investment in securities,” most of it used to be in government bonds or corporate debt. Among the 15 lenders studied by Gadfly, only nine percent of such investments were in products issued by shadow banks. Now, that’s jumped to more than a third, even as the banks’ overall investment in securities has grown by 65 percent.

The credit bubble in China is indeed far bigger than the headline numbers of money supply or social financing let on. And because it’s driven by financialization, problems are more likely to show up in asset markets than the corporate sector. Watch out. Bloomberg

Du30... From A9 the commissioners down to the security guards receive bribes from entrenched smuggling syndicates protected by their political “padrinos.”

Customs may be automated now, but still there are elements of human discretion in the examinations of hundreds, if not thousands, of containers arriving at the piers daily. In fact, I know that every Friday, smugglers and members of smuggling syndicates meet on Remedios St. in Malate, for the payoff.

At the international airport, smuggling gets more sophisticated with some chief of “cabos” speaking for customs officials and personnel. The “cabos” are approached by smugglers and in turn the “cabos” liaison with Customs officials and personnel to enable them to release goods from bonded warehouses.

At the piers, it is known that for every alleged container smuggled, some eight to 10 other containers are brought out without any examination, and the security guards are given their share.

At the airport, a Customs official intimated to me that Customs personnel are allowed some kind of a leeway to “fix” the entry of smuggled goods, so long as they keep it under wraps, to augment their low pay. In other words, smuggling gets tolerated so long as they are not scandalous.

There was even a time, when tables with drawers at the bureau were prohibited because when a broker or somebody wants an import to be released, all the Customs personnel had to do is open his drawer.

The smuggling of toxic materials, explosives and chemicals was even worse since these were set apart from the ordinary containers coming from abroad. They are stored in a compound adjacent to the Pasig River to enable smugglers to transport them easily.

My gulay, would you believe that hundreds if not thousands of containers disappear when they are transported from Batangas port to the main bureau or back. Or, when imports land in Subic to be examined in Manila, they eventually disappear. If you believe in miracles, go to Customs and ask why.

Thus, when Faeldon got appointed to Customs, where he never had any experience in, I was told that smuggling syndicates started laughing and singing, happy days are here again.

I can only recall that time when a president, so disgusted with corruption at Customs brought in some 400 cadets from the Philippine Military Academy, hoping that the bureau would be reformed. To his dismay, even the PMA cadets became corrupt.

Often, presidents thought of reforming Customs by replacing the commissioners. During BS Aquino’s six years, five Customs commissioners were appointed one after another in the hope that the bureau would change, but to no avail. So, does Du30 think he can do it?

The only way I think of revamping Customs is to privatize it.

Other countries have done the same. It’s only through privatization that the Du30 government can change the culture of the most corrupt agency of government.

Republic of the Philippines ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF THE POWER PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT (PPSA), AS AMENDED, BETWEEN AURORA ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. (AURELCO) AND GNPOWER LTD. CO. (GNPOWER), WITH PRAYER FOR CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT OF INFORMATION AND THE ISSUANCE OF PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY

Supplemental Transaction Information Memorandum detailing the Evaluation Framework (i.e., terms of reference) Evaluation Result

“F-3” “F-4”

14. During the negotiations conducted between GNPOWER and each of the twelve (12) member-ECs for the finalization of a PPSA and the final review of the latter’s projected base load electricity demand, it had come to their attention that the twelve (12) member-ECs would not be able to procure 300 MW of aggregated base lo ad power in the first Contract Year, as committed in the transaction; ERC CASE NO. 2016-039 RC

AURORA ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. (AURELCO) AND GNPOWER LTD. CO. (GNPOWER),

Applicants. x---------------------------------------------x NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES:

Notice is hereby given that on 06 April 2016, the Aurora Electric Cooperative, Inc. (AURELCO) and GNPower Ltd. Co. (GNPOWER) filed an Application for approval of the power purchase and sale agreement (PPSA), as amended, with prayer for confidential treatlnent of information and the issuance of provisional authority.

In the said Application, AURELCO and GNPOWER alleged the following: 1. Applicant AURELCO is a non-stock, non-profit electric cooperative organized under Philippine laws, with principal office address at Baler , Aurora. It is authorized to distribute and provide electricity services to its member consumers in the Province of Aurora - Municipalities of Baler, Dipaculao, San Luis, Ma. Aurora, Dinalungan, Casiguran, Dilasag, and Dingalan; Province of IsabelaMunicipality of Dinapigue; Province of Quezon - Municipality of General Nakar (hereinafter referred as the “Franchise Area”). A copy of AURELCO’s Certificate of Franchise is herewith attached to form an integral part hereof as Annex “A”. A copy of its Articles of Incorporation and By-laws are also attached as Annexes “A-1” and “A-2” to form integral parts hereof; 2. Applicant GNPOWER is a duly registered limited partnership organized and existing by virtue of the laws of the Republic of the Philippines. It is engaged in the business of developing, constructing, operating, and owning power generation facilities. Its principal office is at 28th Floor, Orient Square Building, Don Francisco Ortigas Jr: Road”, Ortigas Center, Pasig City. Copies of its Certification of Registration issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Amended Articles of Partnership are herewith attached to form integral parts hereof as Annexes “B” and “B-1”, respectively; 3. Applicants may be served with orders, notices, and other legal processes of this Honorable Commission through the address of the undersigned counsels;

15. As a result, GNPOWER and the member-ECs negotiated to have an interim ‘ supply period, which is estimated to commence on December 2018 subject to the ERC’s approval process; 16. On 10 .June 2014, GNPOWER executed with each of AURELCO and nine (9) other member-ECs. The PPSA between GNPOWER and AURELCO is herewith attached and made an integral part hereof as Annex “G”2; 17. GNPOWER agreed to extend the negotiations with CLECAFLAG and its two member-ECs that have not yet signed their respective PPSA” to allow CLECAFLAG to significantly fulfill its obligation under the MOA; .

18. Further, GNPOWER offered to assist CLECAFLAG and its member-ECs in fulfilling their obligation to cause the signing of an aggregated 300 MW PPSA as a requirement for GNPOWER’s project milestones, and on 18 September 2015, GNPOWER, in its appreciation to AURELCO and other member-ECs for being early supporters of the GNPOWER project, executed an amendment to. the PPSA reducing the rate indicated in the PPSA in favor of AURELCO. The amendment is attached hereto as Annex “H” and made an integral part hereof , II. ABSTRACT OF THE PPSA, AS AMENDED, AND OTHER RELATED INFORMATION 19. The following are the salient features of the subject PPSA, as amended: A. Term of Agreement. The PPSA, as amended, shall be effective at the date of its execution, and shall terminate after 240 months from the date specified in the Commencement Date Notice3 defined as the written notice that indicates the commencement of the first delivery of electric capacity at full commercial operation of the first unit of GNPOWER’s facility4.

B. Source of Supply. GNPOWER shall make available, sell, and deliver or cause to be delivered to AURELCO the Products5 at the Delivery Point, whether sourced from GNPOWER’s facility or from other electricity generators, including the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM).

GNPOWER’s · facility shall be constructed and operated in Mariveles, Bataan. The Technical Details of the Project is herewith attached to form an integral part hereof as Annex “I” C. Contracted Capacity. AURELCO is contractually entitled to receive from GNPOWER, at any hour, subject to GNPOWER’s Available Capacity (as defined in the PPSA, as amended) for such hour, the Contracted Capacity (as defined in the PPSA, as amended), as follows: Contracted Capacity 0 0 0 0 0 0 5,000 5,000

Year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

4. By and pursuant to Sections 25, 43 (u) and 45 (b) of Republic Act No. 9136, otherwise known as the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 (EPlRA) and its Implementing Rules and Regulations, this Application is respectfully submitted to the Honorable Commission for its due consideration and approval of the Power Purchase and Sale Agreement (PPSA), as amended, executed by and between Applicants AURELCO and GNPOWER;

Year 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

I. STATEMENT OF FACTS 5. AURELCO, along with eleven other electric cooperatives1 in the Central Luzon region, created Central Luzon Electric Cooperative Association - First Luzon Aggregation Group, Inc. (“CLECAFLAG”), a corporation duly registered with the SEC, as evidenced by herewith attached copy of its Certificate . of Registration, which is made an integral part hereof as Annex “C”; 6. CLECAFLAG, owned and controlled by twelve memberElectric Cooperatives (“ECs”), was formed to coordinate and manage the administration of power supply process including joint planning and selection process, contracting of power of the member-ECs to ensure sustainable power supply and reduced electricity rates in the region; 7. Accordingly, in 2013, CLECAFLAG conducted a competitive selection process to bid out the forward power needs of its memberECs, particularly, for the supply of 300 MW of aggregated base load power from new generating capacity/ies for twenty (20) years starting late 2018, subject to the Honorable Commission’s approval process and the signing by all the member-ECs of the PPSA, as per the award notice and a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), to meet the growing demand of the member-ECs; 8. In the selection of a new power provider, CLECAFLAG employed extensive evaluation parameters and procedures, and with all twelve member-ECs further represented through their own Technical Working Groups. The selection process was conducted in two stages, including a Swiss Challenge, as follows: a.

b.

The first stage is the selection of a Generation Company (“GenCo”) that will submit a Firm Proposal (the “Firm Proponent”) for the aggregated base load to be contracted by the member-ECs. The GenCo shall be selected based on the committed price cap, among other key contract terms.

CLECAFLAG’s proposed price cap was PhP4.09/kWh or PhP4.5808/kWh, inclusive of VAT. Nonetheless, the evaluation of the price cap shall be based on expected levelized price for the duration of the contract; The second stage is the announcement of the Firm Proposal, or that offer of the GenCo which submitted the lowest proposed· committed price cap. The Firm Proposal shall then be subjected to “Swiss Challenge” by other GenCos who were declared qualified during the first stage. The Original Firm Proponent has the right to match the proposal of the Challenger;

9. On the first stage of the selection process, three GenCos participated by submitting their respective bids, namely: GNPOWER, AES Philippines (AES) , and San Miguel Energy Corporation (SMEC); 10. Based on the ranking determined through CLECAFLAG’s evaluation using a specified set of bid parameters and references in the transaction documents, GNPOWER was declared as the Firm Proponent, while AES, submitting a bid that was PhP0.23/ kWh greater than that of GNPOWER, was the Challenger who had an opportunity to counter GNPOWER’s proposal through Swiss Challenge. Meanwhile, SMEC was disqualified for submitting a price offer that is higher th an CLECAFLAG’s proposed price cap of PhP4·09/ kWh; 11. On 8 November 2013, CLECAFLAG and GNPOWER entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), which is made an integral part hereof as Annex “D”, with the individual member-ECs as witnesses, to define each of CLECAFLAG and GNP OWER’s (as the Firm Proponent) rights and obligations under transaction, such as the following, among others: a. CLECAFLAG shall allow only AES to participate in the Swiss Challenge of GNPOWER’s Firm Proposal (Section 4·6) ; b.

CLECAFLAG shall immediately award the PPSA with finality to GNPOWER in any of the following circumstances xxx (a) AES’ failure to submit Letter of Intent to Challenge (Section 4.7);

c.

After awarding the PPSA with finality to GNPOWER, CLECAFLAG shall enter into a PPSA with GNPOWER and/ or cause its member-ECs to enter into a PPSA. AES, however, failed to submit a counter-proposal to match GNPOWER’s Firm Proposal.

12. On 10 March 2014, CLECAFLAG declared GNPOWER as the winning proponent, evidenced by herewith attached copy of CLECAFLAG’s letter of the same date, which is made an integral part hereof as Annex “E’;. GNPOWER shall, then, execute individual power supply agreements with the twelve member-ECs; 13. Copies of relevant documents used in the competitive selection process conducted by CLECAFLAG to bid out the forward power needs of its member-ECs, particularly, for the supply of 300 MW of aggregated base load power, are attached as follows: ANNEX “F” “F-1” “F-2”

DOCUMENT Invitation to participate in the power supply aggregation and contracting of CLECAFLAG Notice of Eligibility to participate in the bidding sent to GNPOWER Transaction Information Memorandum

Contracted Capacity 5,000 5,000 5,000 5,000 5,000 5,000 5,000 5,000 5,000 5,000 5,000 5,000

c.1. Option to Increase Contracted Capacity. Section 2.7 of the PPSA, as amended, provides that upon written notice to GNPOWER, AURELCO may, upon approval by GNPOWER, increase its Contracted Capacity which increase shall be subjected to the same terms and conditions contained in the PPSA, as amended. In considering whether or not to approve the request for increase in Contracted Capacity, GNPOWER may take .into consideration the capacity available for such increase from . its facility in its sole opinion, and/or the willingness of any other buyer to assign its Contracted ‘ Capacity. Such increase in Contracted Capacity shall be’ effective on the date GNPOWER gives its written approval.

d.2 The Energy Fee is the component of the Contract Price allocated to pay for the coal, including Government Charges, designated as the Energy Fee in Schedule 1 of the PPSA, as amended, as adjusted from time to time due to changes in the delivered price of coal. The Energy Fee shall be computed m accordance with the following formula:

Where: IEF

=

Initial Energy Fee equal to $0.0370/kWh

CIFn

=

CIF Cost of Fuel for Billing Period n

CIFo

=

Base CIF Cost of Fuel equal to $11.5573/ million kCal , E. Prompt Payment Discount. Section 4.3 (c) of the PPSA, as amended, provides that if AURELCO pays the invoice in full within ten (10) days of receipt from GNPOWER, AURELCO shall receive a credit on the next subsequent bill equal to $0.0012/kWh multiplied by the actual quantity of the Product actually delivered set forth in such invoice for the Billing Period for which the credit was earned. .

F. Capacity Utilization Discount. Section 4.3 (d) of the PPSA, as amended, provides that if AURELCO pays the invoice amount in full in accordance with GNPOWER’s invoice instruction on or before the twenty-fifth (25th) day of the succeeding calendar month from the relevant Billing Period and AURELCO’s CUF is greater than or equal to 65%, aside from the Prompt Payment Discount, AURELCO shall receive a credit on the next subsequent bill equal to 2.8% of the Energy Fee multiplied by the actual quantity of the Product actually delivered set forth in such invoice for the Billing Period for which the credit was earned.

G. Scheduled and Unscheduled Outage.

Pursuant to Section 2.2, GNPOWER is allowed Scheduled Outage not to exceed five hundred forty (540) Equivalent Hours for each Contract Year, during which times reduced or no deliveries will be available to AURELCO. Likewise, GNPOWER is allowed Unscheduled Outage of five hundred forty (540) Equivalent Hours for each Contract Year during which times reduced or no deliveries will be available to the Buyer; III. COMMERCIAL ADVANTAGES OF THE PROPOSED CONTRACT PRICE AND IMPACT ON AURELCO’S OVERALL RATES 20. The PPSA, as amended, was executed between AURELCO and GNPOWER to respond to the growing power demand of .

AURELCO’s member consumers, which its current providers may not be able to meet and supply; 21. Currently, AURELCO receives a total of 4.65MW from its existing suppliers, out of its requirement of 5.16MW with an annual average growth of 1.873%. AURELCO’s peak demand is forecasted to increase to 6.217MW by 2025. Copies of AURELCO’s SupplyDemand from 2014 to 2025, Historical and Forecasted Data, and Average Daily Load Curve, are herewith attached to form integral parts hereof as Annexes “J” to “J-2”; 22. The additional supply from GNPOWER assures the memberconsumers of AURELCO of adequate and reliable power service, thus, less likelihood of power outages and brownouts; 23. AURELCO conducted a rate impact analysis which resulted in a lower effective rate of PhP3.5323/kWh with supply coming from GNPOWER, compared to a rate of PhP4.5029kWh without GNPOWER, or a reduction of PhPO.9706kWh if with GNPOWER supply, as follows: Simulation of Generation Mix Rate with GNPOWER for the Year 2025

Simulation ofGeneration Mix Rate without GNPOWER for the Year 2025

D. Contract Price. The Contract Price shall be composed of Capacity Price and Energy Price.

D.1 The Capacity Fee is the component of the Contract Price allocated to pay for the cost, as well as the operations and maintenance of the power plant and is designated as the Capacity Fee in Schedule 1 of the PPSA, as amended; as such may be adjusted from ‘ time to time based on GNPOWER’s Capacity Factor.

The corresponding Capacity Fee for a given Capacity Utilization Factor is set forth in the table below: Capacity Utilization Factor (%) 100% 99% 98% 97% 96% 95% 94% 93% 92% 91% 90% 89% 88% 87% 86% 85% 84% 83% 82% 81% 80% 79% 78% 77% 76% 75% 74% 73% 72% 71% 70% 69% 68% 67% 66% 65%

Capacity Fee ($/kWh) 0.0466 0.0470 0.0474 0.0477 0.0481 0.0485 0.0489 0.0493 0.0497 0.0502 0.0506 0.0510 0.0515 0.0519 0.0524 0.0529 0.0534 0.0539 0.0544 0.0549 0.0555 0.0561 0.0567 0.0573 0.0579 0.0585 0.0592 0.0599 0.0606 0.0613 0.0621 0.0629 0.0637 0.0645 0.0653 0.0662

25. In support of the instant Application for the approval of the PPSA, as amended, Applicants further attach the following documents to form integral parts hereof, to wit:,

26. Applicants AURELCO and GNPOWER reserve the right to submit other documents, either in the course of the hearing or as may be required by this IIonorable Commission.

In case the Capacity Utilization Factor is not a whole number, the Capacity Fee shall be computed using the formula below.

Capacity Fee = -0.10773 X (CUF) + 0.33975 X (CUF) -0.3932 x (CUF) + 0.2078 Where: Capacity Fee = is the Capacity Fee in $/kWh 3

CUF

=

Generation Rate Impact (-0.9706)

24. Aside from the lower generation cost of the power supply from GNPOWER, AURELCO is also entitled to Pro;rnpt Payment Discount and Capacity Utilization Discount, if conditions are met, which makes even more competitive the proposed rate contained in the subject PPSA, as amended;

2

is the Capacity Utilization Factor between 65% and 100%, provided that if the actual CUF is below 65% (the “Minimum Capacity Utilization Factor”), the Capacity Price shall be calculated based on the Capacity Fee and quantity associated with the Minimum Capacity Utilization Factor.

The Capacity Utilization Factor (CUF) shall be computed as follows: Capacity Utilization= Q Factor (CUF) CCx(HT-EHTO) Where: Q

=

Quantity of kWh

CC

=

Contracted Capacity, in kW, as set forth in Schedule 1

HT

=

Total number of hours in such Billing Period

EHTO

=

The sum of the duration, in Equivalent Hours, of Scheduled Outages and Unscheduled Outages in such Billing Period

IV. COMPLIANCE WITH PRE-FILING REQUIREMENTS 27. Applicants manifest compliance with the pre-filing requirements mandated under the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the EPIRA and Rule 6 of the ERC Rules of Practice and Procedure, to be established by the following: a. Certifications acknowledging receipt of the Application with annexes issued by the Legislative Bodies of the Province of Aurora, the Municipality of Baler, and the City of Pasig, to be appended as Annexes “X”, “Y” , and “Z”, respectively; b. Affidavit of Publication stating that the Application was published in a newspaper of general circulation within Applicants’ Franchise Area and/or area of its principal operation, to be appended herein as Annex “AA”; and c. Complete newspaper issue where the Application was published, to be appended herein as Annex “AA-1”, and the relevant page theryof where the Application appeared, as Annex “AA-2”; V. MOTION FOR CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT OF ANNEXES “F-4”-, “L”,”M”, “N”, and “O” 28. Under Rule 4 of the ERC Rules of Practice and Procedure, a party to any proceeding before the Honorable Commission may request that certain information not be disclosed and be treated as confidential, by describing with particularity the information to be .treated as confidential, specifying the ground for the claim of confidential treatment of the information and, if applicable, specifying the period during which the information must not be disclosed;

T HURSDAY : JU NE 9 , 2 0 1 6

SPORTS

29. In connection to the foregoing, AURELCO humbly requests for the confidential treatment of Annex “F -4” hereof, consisting of the Evaluation Result. This annex shows the individual offers of the bidders which participated in the competitive selection process (CSP). The members of CLECAFLAG, AURELCO included, are bound by their undertaking to secure and keep in confidence the offers and the proposed terms of supply, so as not to prejudice or preempt any future CSPs in which these bidders will participate. Otherwise, AURELCO and the rest of the members of CLECAFLAG may be held liable for damages for breach of confidentiality, and eventually, risk their good relations with the suppliers concerned;

sports@thestandard.com.ph

A13

30. Similarly, Applicant GNPOWER most respectfully moves for the confidential treatment of Annexes “L”7, “M”8, “N”9, and “O”10 hereof. These annexes, exclusively owned by Applicant GNPOWER, contain documents which ate considered part of its business and trade secrets. As such, GNPOWER has the sole proprietary interest and will be unduly prejudiced should they be disclosed to the public; 31. These annexes contain numbers, data, formula, methodology, and calculations involving valuable and sensitive commercial, fi nancial and technological information reflecting GNPOWER’s business operations and financial trade secrets. Therefore, the disclosure of GNPOWER’s confidential, proprietary, and private information included in the aforesaid annexes should be protected from public dissemination. Otherwise, such information can be illegally and unfairly utilized by business competitors who may use the same for their own private gain. and to the irreparable prejudice of GNPOWER. Negotiations with prospective customers may also be affected; 32. The information contained in Annexes “L”, “M”, “N”, and “O”, constitute “trade secrets”, for which GNPOWER has actual and valuable proprietary interest. As explained by the Supreme Court, a trade secret may consist of any formula, pattern , device, or compilation of information that is used in one’s business and gives the employer an opportunity to obtain an advantage over competitors who do not possess the information11.

It is indubitable that trade secrets constitute proprietary rights and jurisprudence has consistently acknowledged the private character of trade secrets12. Further, as ruled in Garcia vs. Board of . Investments13,trade secrets and confidential, commercial and financial information are exempt from public scrutiny; 33. It is respectfully submitted that the aforementioned Annexes must be accorded confidential treatment. As such, they are to be used exclusively by the Honorable Commission and for the sole purpose of evaluating this Application, thereby. protecting these data from unnecessary public disclosure; 34. In accordance with Section i(b), Rule 4 of the ERC Rules of Practice and Procedure, Applicants hereby submit one (1) copy each of Annexes “F -4, “L”, “M”, “N”, and· “O” in a sealed envelope, with the envelope and each page of the documents stamped with the word “Confidential”.

VI. ISSUANCE OF PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY 35. All the foregoing allegations are herein re-pleaded by reference in support of the instant Prayer for provisional authority; 36. The basis . by which Applicants AURELCO and GNPOWER pray for the issuance of a Provisional Authority or interim relief prior to final decision is Rule. 14 of. the ERC Rules of Practice and Procedure: “Section 3. Action on the Motion. - Motions for provisional authority or interim relief may be acted upon with or without hearing. The Commission shall act on the motion on the basis of the allegations of the application or petition and supporting documents and other evidences that applicant or petitioner has submitted and the comments or opposition filed by any interested person, if there be any.” [Emphasis Ours] 37. Worthy of note is that based on the Department of Energy’s (DOE) 2015-2030 Luzon and Visayas Grids Supply Demand Outlook, Luzon’s peak demand in 2015 is 8,974MW with an Annual Average Growth ,Rate (AAGR) of 4.25% while Visayas’ Peak Demand is 1,847MW with AAGR of 3-4%. Therefore, Luzon’s peak demand is expected to increase to 10,884MW in 2020, and to 16,165MW by the year 2030 and for Visayas, 2,042MW in 2020 and 3,025MW in 2030. This electricity demand growth has led to DOE’s call for planning and investments in the power sector; 38. Contributing to the Luzon Grid’s demand growth is AURELCO’s peak load demand which increases at a rate of 1.873% per year. By 2025, it is projected that AURELCO’s existing power suppliers will not be able to meet the power needs of its member consumers, which is expected to have increased to 20.53%; 39. Thus, the PPSA, as amended, with GNPOWER is crucial for AURELCO to guarantee that its forward power needs are satisfied, without compromising the reasonableness of the generation , rate to be passed on to its member-consumers; 40. While actual delivery of power at full capacity under the terms and conditions of the PPSA, as amended, is expected to commence only in 2020, Applicants, nonetheless, shall begin at the earliest opportune time their compliance with all financial and regulatory requirements and processes leading up to the timely completion of GNPQWER’s facility; 41. It is worthy to note that part of the funds needed to construct GNPOWER’s facility will be sourced from loans coming from banks/ financial institutions. The Honorable Commission’s provisional approval of the instant Application is a vital requirement for the release of the loan proceeds. Hence, a timely financial close ensures stable source of funds and timely construction of the generation facility, and the implementation of the PPSA, as amended, as contemplated by the Applicants; 42. With continuous financing, the timely implementation of the project shall be assured, to the full benefit of AURELCO and the Luzon and Visayas’ Grids. Otherwise, any delay in the implementation of the project shall expose AURELCO to supply risk and unstable market prices in the future; 43. To emphasize the necessity of a provisional approval of herein Application, a Judicial Affidavit to support the prayer for provisional authority will be attached herewith to form an integral part herepf as Annex “BB”; 44. In view thereof, and in recognition of the fact that a substantial amount of time is customarily needed to evaluate the documents submitted to support the approval of herein Application, Applicants AURELCO and GNPOWER respectfully seek the kind consideration of the Honorable Commission to approve the instant Application, immediately, albeit, provisionally, at the soonest opportune time.

PRAYER WHEREFORE, premises considered, it is most respectfully prayed of the Honorable Commission that (i) all information set forth in Annexes “F-4, “L”, “M”, “N”, and “0” to the instant Application be ‘ treated as confidential; (ii) pending hearing on the merits, a Provisional Authority be DULY ISSUED authorizing the immediate implementation of the subject Power Purchase and Sale Agreement (PPSA), as amended, between . Applicants AURELCO and GNPOWER, including the rate structure therein, as applied; and (iii) that after due notice and hearing, the instant Application, the PPSA, as amended, and the rate structure contained therein be DULY APPROVED. Further, in the event that a Final Authority shall be issued after GNPOWER starts the actual delivery of power to AURELCO under the terms of the subject PPSA, as amended, said Final Authority shall be retroactively applied to the date of such actual deli very.

Other reliefs as may be just and equitable under the premises are, likewise, most respectfully prayed for.

The Commission has set the Application for determination of compliance with the jurisdictional requirements, Expository Presentation, Pre-trial Conference, and presentation of evidence on 07 July 2016 (Thursday) at three o’clock in the afternoon (03:00 P.M.) at the AURELCO’s Main Office in Barangay Reserva, Baler, Aurora.

All persons who have an interest in the subject matter of the proceeding may become a party by filing, at least five (5) days prior to the initial hearing and subject to the requirements in the ERC’s Rules of Practice and Procedure, a verified petition with the Commission giving the docket number and title of the proceeding and stating: (1) the petitioner’s name and address; (2) the nature of petitioner’s interest in the subject matter of the proceeding, and the, way and manner in which such interest is affected by the issues involved in the proceeding; and (3) a statement of the relief desired.

All other persons who may want their views known to the Commission with respect to the subject lnatter of the proceeding may file their opposition to the Application or comment thereon at any stage of the proceeding before the applicant concludes the presentation of its evidence. No particular form of opposition or comment is required, but the docurnent, letter or writing should contain the name and address of such person and a concise statement of the opposition or comment and the grounds relied upon.

All such persons who wish to have a c’opy of the Application may request from the applicant that they be furnished with the same, prior to the date of the initial hearing. The applicant is hereby directed to furnish all those making such request with copies of the Application and its attachments, subject to the reimbursement of reasonable photocopying costs. Any such person may likewise examine the Application and other pertinent records filed with the Commission during standard office hours.

WITNESS, the Honorable Chairman JOSE VICENTE B. SALAZAR, and the Honorable Commissioners ALFREDO J. NON, GLORIA VICTORIA C. YAP-TARUC, JOSEFINA PATRICIA A. MAGPALE-ASIRIT, and GERONIMO D. STA. ANA, Energy Regulatory Commission, this 18th day of May 2016 at Pasig City.

ATTY. NATHAN J. MARASIGAN Chief of Staff Office of the Chairman and CEO 1

2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

1 Nueva Ecija I Electric Cooperative, In c. (NEE CO 1), Nueva Ecija II Area 1 Electric Cooperative, Inc. (NEECO II-Area1), Nueva Ecija II Area 2 Electric Cooperative, Inc. (NEECO II-Area2), Pampanga Electric Cooperativc, Inc. (PELCO I), Pampanga II Electric Cooperative, Inc. (PELCO II), Pampanga III Electric Cooperative, Inc. (PELCO III), Pampanga Rural Electric Service Cooperative, Inc. (PRESCO) , Tarlac I Electric Cooperative, Inc. (TARELCO 1), Tarlac II Electric Cooperative, Inc. (TARELCO II), Zambales I Electric Cooperative, Inc. (ZAMECO 1), and Zambales Il Electric: Cooperative, In c. (ZAMECO II) Each of the PPSA entered into with the other 9 individual MECs are also made an integral part hereto as Annexes G-1 to G-9· Section 1.3, Schedule l. Contracted Capacity, Contract Price and Terms of Agreement, PPSA, page 31 Section 1.1, Article 1. Definitions and Interpretations, PPSA, page 4 Refers to Electric Capacity, contracted on a variable Capacity Utilization Factor basis, together with energy, as specified in Schedule 1 of the PPSA, as the context requires, or as otherwise agreed by the Parties. (Section 1.1, Article 1.

Definitions and Interpretations, PPSA, page 8) The power supply agreement between AURELCO and AES Masinloc will expire on December 25, 2024.

GNPOWER’s Financial Assumplions including Project Cost, Sources of Financing, Debt-Equity Ratio, WACC computation, and Projected Equity IRR Breakdown of Costs including Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) Costs, Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Costs, and Projected Fuel Costs Project ed Balance Sheet, Income Statement , Revenue and Cash Flow Details of Fuel Procurement Air Philippines Corporation vs. Pennswell Inc., G.R. No. 172835, December 13, 2007.

Ibid. , 177 SCRA 374 (1989).

(TS-JUNE 9 & 17, 2016)

Team Iriga’s Shola Alvarez (19) blasts in a kill against BaliPure’s Janine Marciano (9) and May Tajima during their Shakey’s V-League showdown Wednesday.

BaliPure whips rd Iriga for solo 3 BALIPURE continued to flourish even without ace Alyssa Valdez, fending off Team Iriga to carve out an 18-25, 25-18, 25-13, 25-21 victory and move to solo third in the Shakey’s V-League Season 13 Open Conference at The Arena in San Juan City yesterday.

Games Saturday 4 p.m. – Baguio vs Pocari 6:30 p.m. – Laoag vs Air Force

The jump-serving Gretchel Soltones sustained fiery form coming off a tough five-set win over the National Bulldogs last Monday, firing 22 hits while Janine Marciano and

Amy Ahomiro combined for 23 points for the undermanned Water Defenders, who leaned on their power while pouncing on the Lady Oragons’ poor service reception.

BaliPure wavered a bit late in the fourth, enabling the Bicolbased squad to strike back and force a tie at 21. But after acting

Pague, Guarde top Cebuana tilt ZAMBOANGA Sibugay native Jose Maria Pague and Sultan Kudarat’s Carlyn Bless Guarde struck hard again with dominating wins at the recent Cebuana Lhuillier AgeGroup Tennis Championship leg in Molave, Zamboanga del Sur. Pague won three titles, while Guarde pocketed two in the tournament also supported by Dunlop Sports.

Pague, who has established a lock on the boys’ 16-under and 18-under age groups, beat Nilo Ledama from Pagadian, 6-2, 6-3, for the 16-under crown, disposed of Dumaguete City challenger Ibarra Ortega, 6-0, 6-1, in the finals of the 18-under group, and shared the 18-under boys’ doubles title with partner John Renest Sonsona with an 8-3 victory over Duma Hakim Boloto and Andrei Cuevas.

In the distaff side, Carlyn Bless Guarde, a native of Isulan, Sultan Kudarat

and currently nationally ranked second among 16-under girls, went home with the 16-under title after defeating Elizabeth Abarquez, 6-2, 6-3, in their championship match, then moved on to the 18-under finals, where she beat Ozamis City’s Carmeville Gervacio, 6-0, 6-3.

“Our players in the Cebuana Lhuillier Age Group Tennis Championship Series are getting the recognition they deserve. Guarde is now no.

1 in her age group, while Heinz Asian Carbonilla is already no. 1 among 10-under players in the country. This shows that our series, now on its first decade of producing young tennis champions, is having a major impact in developing the sport of tennis, “ said Jean Henri Lhuillier, President/CEO of the sponsoring Cebuana Lhuillier Group and current Philippine Tennis Association Chairman.

coach Ato Toyco sued for time, the Water Defenders responded with four straight points, capped by a mean Dzi Gervacio attack that wrapped up the 90-minute encounter aired live over ABS-CBN Sports + Action Channel 23.

BaliPure thus chalked up its second straight win after

dropping a four-setter to Air Force last week, staying within striking distance with its tormentor and newcomer Pocari Sweat, which pace the eightteam field with 3-0 marks in the seasonopening conference of the league sponsored by Shakey’s and backed by Mikasa and Accel.

“Everybody stepped up,” said Toyco, who bucked the absence of four other key players, including playercoach Charo Soriano, Bea Tan, Ella de Jesus and Jem Ferrer.

Key matches start FDG Cup FORMER No. 1 Malvinne Ann Alcala sets out against Jeline Masongsong, former national champion Bianca Carlos tests Luisa Baldos’ mettle while Cassandra Lim faces Andrea Ricacho in three of the featured matches kicking off the 2016 FDG Cup Badminton Championships today (Thursday, June 9) at Power Smash Badminton Center in Makati.

Alcala, a former Singapore Junior champion who used to dominate local badminton, is on a comeback trail, hoping to use her experience against a slew of talented young players making up the current national pool, headed

by Sarah Barredo, Nicole Albo, Mariya Sevilla and Arianne Rivera.

The top four players drew opening round byes in the 32-player women’s Open singles draw with the top-seeded Barredo taking on the winner in the Rae Concepcion-Marinel Dalisay duel; No. Albo battling the victor in the Feeby Ferrer-Joy Capillo clash; No. 3 Sevilla colliding with the winner in the Maxine delos SantosShane Salvador faceoff; and No. 4 Rivera squaring off with the victor in the Virginia LopezJanina Francisco clash.

Hostilities fires off at 9 a.m. at various courts at Powersmash which also features top matches in the full-packed men’s Open singles draw headed by top seed and defending champion Mark Alcala and No. 2 Kevin Cudiamat.

Republic of the Philippines ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF THE POWER PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT (PPSA), AS AMENDED, BETWEEN TARLAC I ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. AND GNPOWER LTD. CO. WITH PRAYER FOR CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT OF INFORMATION AND THE ISSUANCE OF PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY,

13. Copies of relevant documents used in the competitive selection process conducted by CLECAFLAG to bid out the forward power needs of its member-ECs, particularly, for the supply of 300 MW of aggregated base load power, are attached to the,Application as follows: ANNEX “F” “F-1” “F-2” “F-3”

ERC CASE NO. 2016-030 RC

TARLAC I ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. (TARELCO I) AND GNPOWER LTD. CO. (GNPOWER) Applicants. x---------------------------------------------x

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES:

“F-4”

DOCUMENT

14. During the negotiations conducted between GNPOWERandeach of the twelve (12) member’:’ECs for the finalization of a PPSA and the final review of. the latter’s projected base load electricity demand, it had come to their attention that the twelve (12) member-ECs would not be able to procure 300 MW of aggregated base load power in the first Contract Year, as committed in the transaction; 15. As a result, GNPOWER and the member-ECs negotiated to have an.interim supply period, which is estimated to commence on December 2018 subject to the ERC’s approval process; 16. On 10 June 2014, GNPOWER executed with each of TARELCO I and nine (9) other member-ECs. The PPSA between GNPOWER and TARELCO I is attached as Annex “G” 2 of the Application;

In support of said Application, TARELCO I and GNPower alleged, among others, the following:

17. GNPOWER agreed to extend the negotiations with CLECAFLAG and its two member-ECs that have not yet signed their respective PPSAs to allow CLECAFLAG to significantly fulfill its obligation under the MOA;

2. Applicant GNPOWER is a duly registered limited partnership existing under Philippine laws. It is engaged in the business of developing, constructing, operating, and owning power generation facilities. Its principal office is at 28th Floor, Orient Square Building” Don Francisco Ortigas Jr. Road, Ortigas Center, Pasig City. Copies of its Certification of Registration issued by,the Securities and Exchapge Commission (SEC) and ‘ Amended Articles “, of Partnership are attached as Annexes “B” and “B1”, respectively, of the Application; 3. Applicants may be served with orders, notices, and other legal processes of the Commission through its counsels of record; 4. Pursuant to Sections 25, 43 (u) and 45 (b) of Republic Act No. 9136, otherwise known as the Electric Power Industry’ Reform,’ Act ‘of 2001 (EPIRA) and its Implementing Rules and Regulations, this ,Application is submitted to the Commission for its due consideration and approval of the Power Purchase and Sale Agreement (PPSA), as amended, executed by and between Applicants TARELCO I and GNPOWER;

ABSTRACT OF THE PPSA, AS AMENDED, AND OTHER RELATED INFORMATION 19. The following are the salient features of the subject PPSA, as amended: A. Term ofAgreement. The PPSA, as amended shall be effective at the date of its execution, and shall terminate after 240 months from the date specified in the Commencement Date Notice 4 . defined as the written notice that indicates the commencement· of the first delivery of electric capacity at full commercial operation of the first unit of GNPOWER’s facility5.

B. Source of Supply. GNPOWER. shall make available, sell, and deliver or cause to be delivered to TARELCO I the Product 6 at the Delivery . Point, whether sourced from GNPOWER’s facility or from other electricity generators, including the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM). GNPOWER’s facility shall be constructed and operated in Mariveles, Bataan. The Technical Details of the Project is attached to the Application as Annex “I”; C. Contracted Capacity. TARELCO I is contractually entitled to receive from GNPOWER, . at any hour, subject to GNPOWER’s Available Capacity (as defined in the PPSA, as amended) for such hour, the Contracted Capacity (as defined in the PPSA, as amended), as follows: Year 1 2 3 4 5 5 6 7 8 9 10-20

STATEMENT OF FACTS

7. Accordingly, in 2013, CLECAFLAG conducted a competitive selection process to bid out the forward power needs of its member-ECs, particularly, for the supply of 300 MW of aggregated base load power from new generating capacity/ ies for twenty (20) years starting late 2018, subject to the Commission’s approval process and the signing by all the member-ECs of the PPSA, as per the award notice and a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), to meet the growing demand of the member-ECs; 8. In the selection of a new power provider, CLECAFLAG employed extensive evaluation parameters and procedures, and with all twelve member-ECs further represented through their own Technical Working Groups. The selection process was conducted in two stages, including a Swiss Challenge, as follows: a. The first stage is the selection of a Generation Company (“GenCo”) that will submit a Firm Proposal (the “Firm Proponent”) for the aggregated base load to be contracted by the member-ECs. The GenCo shall be selected based on the committed price cap, among other key contract terms. CLECAFLAG’s proposed price cap was PhP4.09/ kWh or PhP4.5808/kWh, inclusive of VAT. Nonetheless, the evaluation of the price cap shall be based on expected levelized price for the duration of the contract; and b.

The second stage is the announcement of the Firm Proposal, or that offer of the GenCo which submitted the lowest proposed committed price cap. The Firm Proposal shall then be subjected to “Swiss Challenge” by other GenCos who were declared qualified during the first stage.

The Original Firm Proponent has theright to match the proposal of the Challenger;

9. On the first stage of the selection process, three GenCos participated by submitting their respective bids, namely: GNPOWER, AES Philippines (AES), and San Miguel Energy Corporation (SMEC); 10. Based on the ranking determined through CLECAFLAG’s evaluation using a specified set of bid parameters and references in the transaction documents, GNPOWER was declared as the Firm Proponent, while AES, submitting a bid that was PhP0.23/kWh greater than that of GNPOWER, was the Challenger who had an opportunity to counter GNPOWER’s proposal through Swiss Challenge. Meanwhile, SMEC was disqualified for submitting a price offer that is higher than CLECAFLAG’s proposed price cap of PhP4.09/kWh; 11. On 8 Novemher 2013, CLECAFLAG and GNPOWER entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), Annex “D” of the Application, with the individual member-ECs as witnesses, to define each , of CLECAFLAG and GNPOWER’s ,(as: the Firm Proponent) rights ,and obligations under transaction, such as the following, among others; a. CLECAFLAG shall’ allow only AES to participate in the Swiss Challenge of GNPOWER’s Firm Proposal (Section 4.6); b.

CLECAFLAG shall immediately award the PPSAwith finality’to GNPOWER in any of the following circumstances xxx (a) AES’ failure to submit Letter of Intent to Challenge (Section 4.7); and ‘

c.

After awarding the’ PPSA with finality to GNPOWER, CLECAFLAG shall enter into a PPSA with GNPOWER and/ or cause its member-ECs to enter into a PPSA.

AES failed to submit a counter-proposal to match GNPOWER’s Firm Proposal.

12. On 10 March 2014, CLECAFLAG declared GNPOWER as the winning proponent, evidenced by the attached copy of CLECAFLAG’s letter of the same date as Annex “E” of the Application. GNPOWER shall, then, execute individual power supply agreements with the twelve member-ECs;

D.2

C.l.

Contracted Capacity (kW) 0 0 0 0 17,000 17,000 17,000 19,000 20,000 27,000 37,000

Quantity of kWh Contracted Capacity, In kW, as set forth in Schedule 1 Total number of hours in such Billing Period = The sum of the duration, in Equivalent Hours, of Scheduled Outages and Unscheduled Outages in such Billing Period The Energy Fee is the component of the Contract Price allocated to pay for the coal, including Government Charges, designated as the Energy Fee in Schedule 1 of the PPSA, as amended, as adjusted from time to time due to changes in the delivered price of coal. The Energy Fee shall be computed in accordance with the following formula:

=

Initial Energy Fee equal to $0.0370/kWh

CIFn

=

CIF Cost of Fuel for Billing Period n

CIFo

=

Base GIF Cost . of Fuel equal to $11.5573/ million kCal .

E. Prompt Payment Discount. Section 4.3 (c) of the PPSA, as amended, provides that if. TARELCO I pays the invoice in full within ten (10) days of receipt from GNPOWER, TARELCO , I shall receive a credit on the next subsequent bill equal to $0.0012/kWh multiplied by the actual quantity of the Product actually delivered set forth in such invoice for the Billing Period for which the credit was earned.

F.

Capacity Utilization Discount. Section 4.3 (d) of the PPSA, as amended, provides that if TARELCO I pays the invoice amount in full in accordance with GNPOWER’s . invoice instruction on or before the twenty-fifth (25th) day of the succeeding calendar month from the relevant Billing Period and TARELCO I’s CUF is greater than or equal to 65%, aside from the Prompt Payment Discount, TARELCO I shall receive a credit on the next subsequent bill equal to 2.8% of the Energy Fee multiplied by the actual quantity of the Product actually delivered set forth in such invoice for the Billing Period for which the credit was earned.

G. Scheduled and Unscheduled Outage. Pursuant to Section 2.2, GNPOWER is allowed Scheduled Outage not to exceed five hundred forty (540) Equivalent Hours for each Contract Year, during which times reduced , or no deliveries will be available to TARELCO 1. Likewise, GNPOWER is allowed Unscheduled Outage of five hundred forty (540) Equivalent Hours for each Contract Year during which times reduced or no deliveries will be available to the Buyer; COMMERCIAL ADVANTAGES OF THE PROPOSED CONTRACT PRICE AND IMPACT ON TARELCO I’S , OVERALL RATES 20. The PPSA, as amended, was executed between TARELCO l and GNPOWER to respond to the growing power demand of TARELCO 1’s member consumers, which its current providers may not be able to meet and supply; 21. Currently, TARELCO I receives a total of 36 MW from its existing suppliers, out of its requirement of 42.10 MW. With an annual average growth of 5.64%, TARELCO 1’s peak demand is forecasted to increase to 64.24 MWby 2020. ‘ Copies ofTARELCO 1’s Supply-Demand from 2013 to 2022, Historical and Forecasted Data, and Average Daily Load Curve, are attached to the Application and made an integral parts thereof as Annexes “J” to “J-2”; 22. The additional supply from GNPOWER assures the memberconsumers of TARELCO I of adequate and reliable power service, thus, less likelihood of power outages and brownouts; 23. TARELCO I conducted a rate impact analysis which resulted in a lower effective rate of PhP4.0263/kWh with supply coming from GNPOWER, compared to a rate of PhP4.7808/kWh without GNPOWER, or a reduction of PhP0.7545/kWh if with GNPOWER supply, as follows:

Option to Increase Contracted Capacity. Section 2.7 of the PPSA, as amended, provides that upon written notice to GNPOWER, TARELCO I may, upon approval

by GNPOWER, increase its Contracted Capacity which increase shall be subjected to the same terms and ‘ conditions contained in thePPSA, as amended. In considering whether or not to approve the request for increase in Contracted Capacity, GNPOWER may take into consideration the ‘ capacity available for such increase from its facility in its sole opinion, and/or the willingness of any other buyer to’ assign its Contracted Capacity. Such increase in Contracted Capacity shall be effective on the date GNPOWER gives its written approval.

D. Contract Price. The Contract Price shall be composed of Capacity Price and Energy Price.

D.l

= =

Where: IEF

18. GNPOWER offered to assist CLECAFLAG and its member-ECs in fulfilling their obligation to cause the signing of an aggregated 300 MW PPSA as a requirement for GNPOWER’s project milestones, and on 18 , September 2015, GNPOWER, in its appreciation to TARELCO I and other member-:ECs for being early supporters of the GNPOWER project, executed an amendment3 to the PPSA reducing the rate indicated in the PPSA in favor ofTARELCO I.

5. TARELCO I, along with eleven other electric cooperatives1 in the Central Luzon region, created Central Luzon Electric Cooperative Association First Luzon Aggregation Group, Inc. (CLECAFLAG), a corporation duly registered with the SEC, as evidenced by the attached copy of its Certificate of Registration, as Annex “C” of the Application; 6. CLECAFLAG, owned and ‘controlled by twelve (12) memberElectric Cooperatives (“ECs”), was formed to coordinate and manage the administration of power supply process including joint planning and selection process, contracting of power of the member-ECs to ensure sustainable power supply and reducedelectricity rates in the region;

EHTO

Invitation to participate in the power supply aggregation and contracting of CLECAFLAG Notice of Eligibility to participate in the bidding sent to GNPOWER Transaction Information Memorandum Supplemental Transaction Information Memorandum detailing the Evaluation Framework (i.e., terms of reference) Evaluation Result

On 16 March 2016, Tarlac I Electric Cooperative, Inc. (TARELCO I) and GNPower Ltd . Co. (GNPower) filed their joint Application for approval of their Power Purchase and Sale Agreement (PPSA), with prayer for confidential treatment of information and issuance of provisional authority.

1. Applicant TARELCO I is a non-stock, non-profit , electric cooperative organized under Philippine , laws, with principal office address at Gerona, Tarlac. It is authorized to distrib~te and provide electricity services to its member consumers In the Municipalities of Anao, Camiling, Gerona, Mayantoc, Paniqui, Pura, Moncada, Ramos, San Clemente, San Jose, San Manuel, Sta. Ignacia, and Victoria, all in the Province of Tarlac; Barangays of Batangbatang, Bora, Laoang, San Juan de Mata, and Sto. Domingo, all in’ the City, of Tarlac; Municipalities of Cuyapo and Nampicuan, Barangays of Maybubon, Agcano, Bagong Barrio, Bulakid, Caingin Tabing Hog, San Agustin, Yuson, Lamorito, and San Miguel, all in the Municipality of Guimba, and Barangay Villarosa in the Municipality of Licab, all in the Province of Nueva Ecija (hereinafter, “Franchise , Area”).

A copy of TARELCO 1’s Certificate ofFranchise is attached to the Application as Annex “A” and forms an integral part thereof. A copy of its Articles of Incorporation and By-laws are also attached to the Application as Annexes ‘”A-1” and “A-2” to form integral parts thereof;

Where: Q CC

The Capacity Fee is the component of the Contract Price allocated to pay for the cost, as well as the operations and maintenance of the power plant and is designated as the Capacity Fee in Schedule 1 of the PPSA, as amended, as such may be adjusted from time to time based on GNPOWER’s Capacity Factor.

24. Aside from the lower generation cost of the power supply from GNPOWER, TARELCO I is also entitled to Prompt Payment Discount and Capacity Utilization Discount, if conditions are met, which makes even more competitive the proposed rate contained in the subject PPSA, as amended; 25. In support of the instant Application for the approval of the PPSA, as amended, Applicants further attach the following documents to form integral parts hereof, to wit:

The corresponding Capacity Fee for a given Capacity Utilization Factor is set forth in the table below: Capacity Utilization Factor (%) 100% 99% 98% 97% 96% 95% 94% 93% 92% 91% 90% 89% 88% 87% 86% 85% 84% 83% 82% 81% 80% 79% 78% 77% 76% 75% 74% 73% 72% 71% 70% 69% 68% 67% 66% 65%

Capacity Fee ($/kWh) 0.0466 0.0470 0.0474 0.0477 0.0481 0.0485 0.0489 0.0493 0.0497 0.0502 0.0506 0.0510 0.0515 0.0519 0.0524 0.0529 0.0534 0.0539 0.0544 0.0549 0.0555 0.0561 0.0567 0.0573 0.0579 0.0585 0.0592 0.0599 0.0606 0.0613 0.0621 0.0629 0.0637 0.0645 0.0653 0.0662

In case the Capacity Utilization Factor is not a whole number, the ,Capacity Fee shall be computed using the formula below: Capacity Fee = -0.10773 x (CUF)3 + 0.33975 x (CUF)2 -0.3932 x (CUF) + 0.2078 Where: Capacity Fee = is the Capacity Fee in $/kWh CUF = is the Capacity Utilization Factor between 65% and 100%, . provided that if the actual CUF ‘ is below 65% (the “Minimum Capacity Utilization Factor”), the Capacity Price shall be calculated based on the Capacity Fee and quantity associated with the Minimum Capacity Utilization Factor.

The Capacity Utilization Factor (CUF) shall be computed as follows: Capacity Utilization= Q Factor (CUF) CCx(HT-EHTO)

26. Applicants TARELCO I and GNPOWER reserve the right to submit other documents, either in the course of the hearing or as may be required by the Commission.

COMPLIANCE WITH PRE-FILING REQUIREMENTS 27. Applicants manifest compliance with the pre-filing requirements mandated under the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the EPIRA and Rule 6 of the ERC Rules of Practice and Procedure, to be established by the following: a. Certifications acknowledging receipt of the Application with annexes issued by the Legislative Bodies of the Province of Tarlac, the Municipality of Gerona, and the City of Pasig, to be appended as Annexes “X”, “Y”, and “Z”, respectively, of the Application; b.

Affidavit of Publication stating that the Application was published in a newspaper of general circulation within Applicants’ Franchise Area and/or area of its principal operation, to be appended as Annex “AA” of the Application; and

c.

Complete newspaper issue where the Application was published, to be appended to the Application as Annex “AA-1”, and the relevant page thereof where the Application appeared, as Annex “AA-2”·, MOTION FOR CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT OF ANNEXES “F-4”, “L”, “M”, “N”, and “O”

28. Under Rule 4 of the ERC Rules of Prac’tice and Procedure, a party to any proceeding before the Commission may request that certain information not be disclosed and be treated as

T H U R S D AY : J U N E 9, 2 0 1 6 confidential, by describing with particularity the information to be treated as confidential, specifying the ground for the claim of confidential treatment of the information and, if applicable, specifying the period during which the information must not be disclosed; 29. TARELCO I requests for the confidential treatment of Annex “F-4” of the Application, consisting of the Evaluation Result. This annex shows the individual offers of the bidders which participated in the competitive selection process (CSP). The members of CLECAFLAG, TARELCO I included, are bound by their undertaking to secure and keep in confidence the offers and the proposed terms of supply, so as not to prejudice or preempt any future CSPs in which these bidders will participate. Otherwise, TARELCO I and the rest of the members of CLECAFLAG may be held liable for damages for breach of confidentiality, and eventually, risk their good relations with the suppliers concerned; 30. GNPOWER moves for the confidential treatment of Annexes “L”7, “M”8, “N”9, and “O”10 of the Application. These annexes, exclusively owned by GNPOWER, contain documents which are considered part of its business and trade secrets. As such, GNPOWER has the sole proprietary interest and will be unduly prejudiced should they be disclosed to the public; 31. These annexes contain numbers, data, formula, methodology, and calculations involving valuable and sensitive commercial, financial and technological information reflecting GNPOWER’s . business operations and financial trade secrets. Therefore, the disclosure of GNPOWER’s confidential, proprietary, and private information included in the aforesaid annexes should be protected from public dissemination. Otherwise, such information can be illegally and unfairly utilized by business competitors who may use the same for their own private gain and to the irreparable prejudice of GNPOWER. Negotiations with prospective customers may also be affected; 32. The information contained in Annexes “L”, “M”, “N”, and “O”, constitute “trade secrets”, for which GNPOWER has actual and valuable proprietary interest. As explained by the Supreme Court, a trade secret may consist of any formula, pattern, device, or compilation of information that is used in one’s business and gives the employer an opportunity to obtain an advantage over competitors who do not possess the information11. It is indubitable that trade secrets constitute proprietary rights ‘and jurisprudence has consistently acknowledged the private character of trade secrets12.

Further, as ruled in Garcia vs. Board of Investments13 , trade secrets and confidential, commercial and financial information are exempt from public scrutiny; 33. It submit that the aforementioned Annexes must be accorded confidential treatment.

As such, they are to be used exclusively by the Commission and for the sole purpose of evaluating this Application, thereby protecting these data from unnecessary public disclosure; 34. In accordance with Section l(b), Rule 4 of the ERC Rules ofPractice and Procedure, Applicants hereby submit one (1) copy each of Annexes “F-4, “L”, “M”, “N”, and “O” in a sealed envelope,. with the envelope and each page of the documents stamped with the word “Confidential”.

ISSUANCE OF PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY 35. All the foregoing allegations are re-pleaded by reference in support of the instant Prayer for provisional authority; 36. The basis of TARELCO I and GNPOWER for prayer for the issuance ora Provisional Authority or interim relief prior to final decision is Rule 14 of the ERC Rules ofPractice and Procedure: “Section 3. Action on the Motion. - Motions for provisional authority or interim relief may, be acted upon with or without hearing. The Commission shall act on the motion on the basis of the allegations of the application or petition and supporting documents and other evidences that applicant or petitioner has submitted and the comments or opposition filed by any interested person, ifthere be any.” [Emphasis Ours] 37. Based on the Department of Energy’s (DOE) 2015-2030 Luzon and Visayas Grids Supply-Demand Outlook, Luzon’s peak demand in 2015 is 8,974MW with an Annual Average Growth Rate (AAGR) of 4.25% while Visayas’ Peak Demand is 1,847MW with AAGR of 3.4%. Therefore, Luzon’s peak demand is expected to increase to 10,884MW in 2020, and to 16,165MW by the year 2030 and for Visayas, 2,042MW in 2020 and 3,025MW in 2030. This electricity demand growth has led to DOE’s call for planning and investments in the power sector; 38. Contributing to the Luzon Grid’s demand groWth is TARELCO I’s peak load demand which increases at a rate of 5.64% per year. By 2020, it is projected that TARELCO I’s existing power suppliers will not be able to meet the power needs of its member consumers, which is expected to have increased to 32.82%; 39. Thus, the PPSA, as amended, with .GNPOWER is crucial for TARELCO I to guarantee that its forward power needs are satisfied, without compromising the reasonableness of the generation rate · to be passed on to its member-consumers; 40. While actual delivery of power at full capacity under the terms and conditions of the PPSA, as amended, is expected to commence only in 2020, Applicants, nonetheless, shall begin at the earliest opportune time their compliance with all financial and regulatory requirements and processes leading up to the timely completion ofGNPOWER’s facility; 41. Part of the funds needed to construct GNPOWER’s facility will be sourced fro.m loans coming from banks/financial institutions. The Commission’s provisional approval of the instant Application is a vital requirement for the release of the loan proceeds. Hence, a timely financial close ensures stable source of funds and timely construction of the generation facility and the implementation of the PPSA, as amended, as contemplated by the Applicants; 42. With continuous financing, the timely implementation of the project shall be assured, to the full benefit of TARELCO I and the Luzon and Visayas’ Grids. Othermse, any delay in the implementation of the .. project . shall expose TARELCO I to supply risk and unstable market prices in the future; 43. A copy of the Judicial Affidavit to support the prayer for provisional authority will be attached to the Application as Annex “BB”; 44. In recognition of the fact that a substantial amount of time is needed to .,;evaluate the documents submitted to support : the approval of herein Application, Applicants seek the consideration of the Commission to approve the instant Application, immediately, albeit, provisionally, at the soonest opportune time.

PRAYER 1. Applicants TARELCO I and GNP ower pray before the Commission that: I.

All information attached as Annexes “F-4” “L”, “M”, “N”, and “0” to the Application be treated as confidential; .

II.

Pending· hearing on the merits, a PA be issued authorizing the immediate implementation of the subject· PPSA, as amended, including the rate structure therein, as applied;

Ill. After due notice and hearing, the instant Application the PPSA, as amended,and the rate structure contained ‘ therein be duly approved; and IV. In the event that a Final Authority shall . be issued after GNPOWER starts actual delivery of power to TARELCO I under the terms of the subject PSA, said Final Authority be retroactively applied to the date of such actual delivery.

The Commission has set the Application for initial hearing, expository presentation, pre-trial conference, and presentation of evidence on 05 July 2016 (Tuesday) at three o’clock in the afternoon (3:00 P.M.) at TARELCO I’s Main Office, Gerona, Tarlac.

All persons who have an interest in the subject matter of the proceeding may become a party by filing, at least five (5) days prior to the initial hearing and subjectto the requirements in the ERC’s Rules of Practice and Procedure, a verified petition with the Commission giving the docket number and title of the proceeding and stating: (1) the petitioner’s name and address; (2) the nature of petitioner’s interest in the subject matter of the proceeding, and the way and manner in which such interest is affected by the issues involved in the proceeding; and (3) a statement of the relief desired.

All other persons who may ·· want their views known to the Commission with respect to the subject matter of the proceeding may file their opposition to the Application or comment thereon at any stage of the proceeding before Applicants conclude the presentation. of its evidence. No particular form of opposition or comment is required, but the document, letter or writing should contain the name and address of such person and a concise statement of the opposition or comment and the grounds relied upon.

All such persons who wish to have a copy of the Application may request from the Applicants that they be furnished with the same, prior to the date of the initial hearing. Applicants are hereby directed to furnish all those making such request with copies of the Application and its attachments, subject to the reimbursement of reasonable photocopying costs. Any such person may likewise examine the Application and other pertinent records filed with the Commission during the standard office hours.

WITNESS, the Honorable Chairman, JOSE VICENTE B. SALAZAR, and the Honorable Commissioners, ALFREDO J. NON, GLORIA VICTORIA C. YAP-TARUC, JOSEFINA PATRICIA A. MAGPALE-ASIRIT, and GERONIMO D. STA. ANA, Energy Regulatory Commission, this 18th day of May 2016 in Pasig City.

ATTY. NATHAN J. MARASIGAN Chief of Staff Office of the Chairman and CEO 1

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

Aurora ElectricCooperativ~ (AURELCO), Nueva Ecija I Electric Cooperative, Inc. (NEECO I), . Nueva Ecija II Area 1 Electric Cooperative, Inc. (NEECO II-Area1), Nueva Ecija II Area 2 Electric Cooperative, Inc. (NEECO II-Area2), Pampanga Electric Cooperative, Inc. (PELCO I), Pampanga II Electric Cooperative, Inc. (PELCO II), Pampanga III Electric Cooperative, Inc. (PELCO III), Pampanga Rural Electric Service Cooperative, Inc. (PRESCO), Tarlac II Electric Cooperative, Inc. (TARELCO II), Zambales I Electric, Cooperative, Inc. (ZAMECO I), and Zambales II Electric Cooperative, Inc. (ZAMECO II) Each of the PPSA entered into with the other 9 individual MECs are also made an integral part hereto as Annexes G-l to G-9.

Attached as Annex “H” of the Application.

Section 1.3, Schedule L Contracted Capacity, Contra~t Price and Terms of Agreement, PPSA, . page 31 Section 1.1, Article 1. Definitions and Interpretations, PPSA, page 4 Refers to Electric Capacity, contracted on a varIable Capacity Utilization Factorbasis, together with energy, as specified in Schedule 1 of the PPSA, as the context requires, or as otherwise agreed by the Parties. (Section 1.1, Article 1. Definitions and Interpretations, PPSA, page 8) GNPOWER’s Financial Assumptions including Ptoject Cost, Sources of Financing, Debt-Equity Ratio, WACC computation, and Projected Equity,IRR Breakdown of Costs including Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) Costs, Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Costs, and Projected Fuel Costs Projected Balance Sheet, Income Statement, Revenue and Cash Flow Details of Fuel Procurement Air Philippines Corporation vs. Pennswell Inc., G.R. No. 172835, December 13, 2007· Ibid. , .

177 Se RA 374 (1989).

(TS-JUNE 9 & 17, 2016)

A15

SPORTS sports@thestandard.com.ph

Blackwater captures Malaysia cage crown PENANG, Malaysia—Blackwater worked on its suffocating defense and overwhelmed the Malaysia Dragons, 94-52, to win the 2016 Penang Chief Minister Cup International Basketball Invitational Championship on Tuesday at the Han Chiang Indoor Stadium here.

The Elite were at their best at the start of the second half where they held the newly crowned ABL champions to just three field goals during a nine-minute stretch to build a 65-37 bubble.

There was no letting up for the Dioceldo Sy-owned PBA squad from there as Blackwater completed the five-game tournament sweep and bagged the

RM 10,000 (P120,000) to prize.

“Medyo tight kami in the first two quarters, so during halftime, we reminded them to just play their normal game and nag-respond naman going to the third and fourth quarters kaya ang laki pa ng nilamang namin,” Blackwater coach Leo Isaac said after the game.

The Penang championship

ended Blackwater’s back-to-back runner-up finishes in Malaysia.

Blackwater bowed to the Malaysian national squad during the 2014 Penang Chief Minister Cup, before placing second again in the Seri Mutiara Champions Cup last year in Kuala Lumpur.

Gilbert Bulawan led the Elite with 13 points, while Reil Cervantes and Carlo Lastimosa each added 12. Big man JP Erram chipped in 11 points and 6 rebounds.

Blackwater will be reinforced by American import Eric Dawson and Palestine national player Imad Qahwash in the third conference.

Bata stuns Van Boening for 1-pocket title

By Ronnie Nathanielsz EFREN “Bata” Reyes pulled off some of his magical shots to defeat America’s top player, the much younger 32-year-old Shane Van Boening to win the “Make It Happen” OnePocket Pool Champi-

onships at the Simonis Arena in Edison, New Jersey.

With his 4-3 victory over Van Boening, the greatest pool player of all time proved that despite the passing of the years, he still had the magical touch that enabled him to score a monumental victory.

LOTTO RESULTS

AZ Billiards reported that in the tune up match on Sunday afternoon, the 63-year-old Reyes foreshadowed the finals to come when he ran eight and out in beating Van Boening, leveling their records in this event at 4-1.

As a result, there would be no ties – the

winner of the Make It Happen Invitational would be the player with the best record.

And Reyes whose career was championed by the Puyat brothers, Aristeo ”Putch” Puyat and former congressman “Popit” Puyat through the years, prevailed.

WBC pays tribute to Ali’s wife

6/55 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0 M+ 6/45 00-00-00-00-00-00 P0 M 4 DIGITS 0-0-0-0 3 DIGITS 0-0-0 2 EZ2 0-0

WORLD Boxing Council president Mauricio Sulaiman has paid tribute to Lonnie Ali, the wife of Muhammad Ali, who passed away last Friday (Manila time) at the age of 74.

We ourselves met briefly with Lonnie, when we greeted Ali during the NBA All-Star Game at Madison Square Garden, which we covered with Quinito Henson for Vintage Enterprises in New York in 1998.

In a brief statement, Mauricio Sulaiman said the World Boxing Council, representing 165 countries, wishes to share this homage of appreciation to the greatest woman, wife, friend and companion.

“Lonnie Ali dedicated her life to the greatest, the King of Boxing, Muhammad Ali,” Sulaiman said. “The WBC wishes to acknowledge Lonnie, who is the First Lady of Boxing, the Queen of Boxing.” Ronnie Nathanielsz

2016 National Mixed Teams Championships THE remainder of the PhilipSYLVIA LOPEZ pine TourALEJANDRO nament Bridge Association that the National Mixed Teams tournament was played on Saturday, May 28, 2016 at the Manila Club in Elks Club, one of only five National Championships in the PTBA calendar.

The arrival of Chuchay Tuason and Lars Manneteg from Sweden who played at my Alejandro Duplicate Game last Tuesday prompted me to suddenly form a team -- a Forbes Team to play in this exciting event.

I had regularly organized a team to play at National Mixed Team for over two decades. With a cell phone, it was easy to contact Albert Quiogue, a National player who now lives in Pangasinan. Albert agreed to be my partner and now we had four members for the Forbes Team to play.

The previous winners for the last three years had the Phil and Suena Manalang with teammates

Gerry Alquiros and Nene Quimson winning in 2013, 2014 and 2015 with teammates KT Yang and Ann de Guzman. This year, they teamed up with Alquiros and Quimson.

The Team Magic emerged as the winners The Magic team is composed of Romy Virola, Gemma Tan, George Francisco, Elita Thiergen with 52.24 VPS. Following closely at second place was the Forbes team, composed of Albert Quiogue, Sylvia Alejandro, Lars Manneteg Chuchay Tuason with 46.75 VPs. I feature a deal which Quiogue and I reached a game contract in hearts. The par was only two hearts.

Board 1 North N Deal ♠9 None Vul ♥AK97652 ♦K9 ♣Q76 West East ♠432 ♠QJ1075 ♥10843 ♥Q ♦732 ♦AQ ♣A53 ♣J10982 South

♠AK86 ♥J ♦J108654 ♣K4 West North East South Quiogue Alejandro 1♥ Pass 2♦ Pass 2♥ Pass 2♠ Pass 4♥ Pass ass Quiogue and I play the system Two over One. Quiogue bid and made four hearts. This make of four hearts where the par was two hearts was my harbinger of a good result for our team -oOoFantoni & Nunes’ Appeal: Highlights As announced some time ago from Neapolitan Club and IMP Bridge Magazine, Fulvio Fantoni and Claudio Nunes have appealed against the sentence of the FIGB (Italian Bridge Federation) Tribunal, issued on March 19, 2016 and published on April 11, 2016.

Comments to: sylvia.alejandro@yahoo

Continued tomorrow

T H U R S DAY : J U N E 9, 2 0 16

A16

RIERA U. MALL ARI EDITOR

REUEL VIDAL A S S I S TA N T E D I T O R

sports@thestandard.com.ph

SPORTS

DO OR DIE

LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers shoots during practice and media availability as part of the 2016 NBA Finals at Quickens Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. AFP

CLEVELAND—LeBron James knows all too well the Cleveland Cavaliers must win Wednesday in the NBA Finals if they hope to make one of the greatest fightbacks in 70 years of championship history.

Defending champion Golden State, which set an NBA record with 73 regular-season wins, has seized a 2-0 lead over the Cavaliers in the best-ofseven series, winning twice at home by blowout margins to capture momentum.

“It’s a do-or-die game for us,” James said Tuesday.

“We can’t afford to go down 3-0 to any team, especially a team that’s 73-9 in the regular season and playing the type of basketball they are.

We’re going to come in and give everything we’ve got and leave it on the floor.

“Coming back home and

understanding this is our home floor where we’ve played some really good basketball, we can’t afford to go down 3-0. It will be more adversity if we got to that point, which I don’t believe we will.”

Only three teams in NBA history have rallied from 2-0 down to win the NBA Finals. No team trailing 3-0 has ever fought back to win an NBA playoff series.

“We’re not discouraged,” Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said.

“History is something that’s made to be broken, so we’re not worried about being down 2-0.”

Golden State worries about matching Cleveland’s intensity, especially early.

“They are going to come out with a sense of urgency,” Warriors star Stephen Curry said. “We need to have that same mentality because what’s at stake, if we’re able to go up 3-0, that is a great position to be in. That is the opportunity in front of us.

So we can’t get complacent.”

Third times uncharmed The Warriors have struggled in game threes, losing the third game in their past four playoff series and five of the past six.

“I don’t think there’s anything we can point to in terms of why we’re struggling in game threes,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.

“We’ve just got to come out and play better.

“They can change the momentum around just with one win, so we’ve got to be ready.”

The Cavaliers are 7-0 at home in this year’s playoffs after 33 regular-season home triumphs.

“We’re a confident bunch especially at home,” James said. “Our fans have done a great job of giving us everything and it’s our job to give it back to them. I know the guys are excited about the opportunity to get back out there and defend home court.”

The Warriors are 3-4 on the road in the playoffs this season.

“The storyline tends to be the same: The other team comes out hungrier than we do,” Golden State’s Harrison Barnes said. “We can’t afford to get down early and think we’re going to have miraculous comebacks. It doesn’t

always work that way. We have to do a better job starting off the game on the right foot. After that, everyone will adjust and be fine.”

Cleveland forward Kevin Love is uncertain for game three after taking a blow to the back of the head that sidelined him most of the second half in game two. It could be a huge blow for the Cavaliers, whose plan to change their fortunes involves James, Love and Kyrie Irving forcing more inside shots.

“Being aggressive, getting into the paint, then if we can make a couple shots at the rim, it will start opening up our guys on the perimeter,” James said. “Myself and Kyrie and hopefully Kevin, we can attract some more defenders and get some bodies off some of our shooters.” AFP

Family Fun Run in 4 cities to celebrate Milk Day ALASKA Milk Day celebrates the importance of proper nutrition and exercise with Family Fun Run at McKinley West, Taguig; SM City Naga; SM City Davao; and SM Seaside Cebu on June 11.

In conjunction with the annual World Milk Day, Alaska Milk will hold a run at 5 a.m., a milk toast at 6 a.m., Zumba sessions at 6:30 a.m. and free breakfast for all participants afterward.

Registration is free. For every participant, Alaska will donate corresponding Alaska products to beneficiary Children’s Hour. More than five thousand runners have registered in the Metro Manila leg alone.

Alaska Milk Day reinforces the importance of drinking milk and keeping a healthy lifestyle.

The categories include 3K for family, 3k and 5k for individuals, as well as 1K for 6 to 8 year olds who will also get free Disney and Marvel character theme freebies along with finishers’ medals.

World Milk Day is celebrated annually worldwide. It focuses attention on milk as a universal food central to health and well-being across cultures and nations. Alaska Milk encourages children and adults alike to get into the habit of drinking milk and engaging in sports activities to achieve optimum health.

For more information, like the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/WorldMilkDayPH. For updates and announcements follow @AlaskaWorldMilkDay on Twitter and Instagram.

Participants of last year’s fun run answer the starting gun.

No final PH Gilas lineup yet SAMAHANG Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Manny V. Pangilinan on Wednesday said that Gilas Pilipinas coach Tab Baldwin needs more time to select the 14 players that will comprise the national team.

Pangilinan said he was shown the initial list Tuesday evening when he arrived from Hong Kong.

“It looks good. But eventually, it’s coach Tab’s call,” said Pangilinan during a sendoff attended by other SBP and the Philippine Basketball Association officials Wednesday at the Novotel Hotel in Quezon City, just before the team was to face Iran in a tune-up game at the Araneta Coliseum.

Initially, there was a 24man roster. From that list, Paul Lee, Greg Slaughter and Matt Ganuelas were removed from contention due to injuries, leaving Mark Belo, Roger Pogoy Kevin Ferrer, Jiovanni Jalalon, Russel Escoto, Troy Rosario, Kiefer Ravena, Calvin Abueva, Japeth Aguilar, Andray Blatche, Jeff Chan, Ranidel de Ocampo, June Mar Fajardo, Marcio Lassiter, Gabe Norwood Marc Pingris, Ryan Reyes, Terrence Romeo, Troy Rosario, Moala Tautaa, LA Tenorio and Jayson Castro in the pool.

The final 14, which will be announced anytime this week, will embark on a series of conditioning and training sessions in Greece and Italy, starting on July 10. Peter Atencio

B1

THURSDAY: JUNE 9, 2016

RAY S. EÑANO EDITOR

RODERICK T. DELA CRUZ ASSISTANT EDITOR

business@thestandardtoday.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com

BUSINESS

Sustained growth. First Metro Investment Corp., the investment banking arm of the Metrobank

Group, expects the Philippine economy to expand between 6 percent and 6.5 percent in 2016. First Metro cites the need for the new administration to implement public infrastructure projects faster to boost gross domestic product growth for the remainder of the year. Shown during the economic briefing in Davao City are (from left) First Metro president Rabboni Francis Arjonillo, First Metro Asset Management Inc. president Augusto Cosio Jr. and First Metro Securities Brokerage Corp. president Gonzalo Ordoñez.

Car sales accelerated 30% in May

By Othel V. Campos

VEHICLE sales jumped 30.3 percent in May from a year ago, deploying more than 30,000 units to Philippine roads during the month, two industry groups said Wednesday.

The Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. and Truck Manufacturers Association said in a joint report members sold 30,157 vehicles in May, up from 23,139 units delivered in the same month last year.

“With another impressive sales figure, we can see that there has been continuous demand for mobility,” said Campi president Rommel Gutierrez.

Gutierrez said the growth was expected to be sustained in the

coming months. “We expect new models to reach the market with positive response as we also look at July figures to have a stable to higher sales performance,” Gutierrez said.

Both the passenger car and commercial vehicle segments posted strong sales performance in May. The passenger cars segment sold 10,893 units, up 14 percent from 9,556 units in May 2015.

This brought total automotive

sales in the first five months to 134,328 units, up by 25.2 percent from 107,280 units sold in the same period last year.

Campi said rigid competition among assemblers complemented with the availability of stocks drove sales higher as new and refreshed models were introduced to the market.

Campi said within the commercial vehicle segment, all categories exceeded previous sales with 19,424 units sold in May, up 43 percent from 13,583 units delivered a year ago.

Sales of category 1 or Asian utility vehicles rose 34 percent to 5,426 units from 4,060 units a year earlier while purchases of category 2 or light commercial vehicles increased 45 percent to 12,867 units from 8,903 units.

Category 3 or light trucks increased sales by 104 percent to 704 units from 349 units while category 4 trucks and buses also performed well with 57 percent hike in sales to 283 units over 180 units.

Sales of category 5 or heavyduty trucks and buses reached 144 units, up by 58 percent over 91 units in 2015.

Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. remained the dominant player with 42.95-percent market share in the five month period, followed

by Mitsubishi Motor Philippines Corp. with 18.29 percent. Ford Motor Company Philippines Inc. was third with 10.38 percent.

Isuzu Philippines Corp. ranked fourth with 8.04 percent while Honda Cars Philippines was fifth with 6.69-percent market share.

PSe comPoSite index Closing June 8, 2016

8300 7840 7380 6920 6460 6000

7,722.79 12.25

PeSo-dollar rate

Closing June 8, 2016 48.00 46.00 45.00

P46.010

44.00

CLOSE

43.00

HIGH P46.010 LOW P46.110 AVERAGE P46.062 VOLUME 657.500M

P427.00-P620.00 LPG/11-kg tank

World Bank retains 6.4% growth forecast for PH

By Gabrielle H. Binaday THE World Bank on Wednesday retained its 6.4-percent growth forecast for the Philippines, while reducing the outlook for the global economy.

The Washington-based multilateral said in its Global Economic Prospects that the Philippines was expected to have the strongest growth prospects among the major members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

“Among the large developing Asean economies, Vietnam and the Philippines have the strongest growth prospects. In the Philippines, growth is projected to firm to 6.4 percent in 2016, with an accelerated implementation of public-private partner-

ship projects and strong domestic demand,” the bank said.

“The country benefits from diversified export markets and low global commodity prices,” it said.

The World Bank said the fiscal deficit of the general government narrowed significantly from 3.5 percent of gross domestic product in 2010 to just under 1 percent in 2015, helped by strong revenue collection through faster growth and improved tax administration.

The bank also kept the 6.2-percent growth forecast for the Philippines in 2017 and 2018.

The gross domestic product growth grew 6.9 percent in the first quarter. Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said growth would likely be faster in the second quarter on

election-related spending.

“We expect even better performance in the second quarter and so if more efforts are in fact devoted to attracting more tourists, more foreign direct investments, getting the public-private-partnerships inaugurated in the shortest possible time, then this economy and government will continue to be in good shape,” Abad said.

Meanwhile, the World Bank downgraded its 2016 global growth forecast to 2.4 percent from the 2.9 percent it projected in January.

It said the revision was due to sluggish growth in advanced economies, stubbornly low commodity prices, weak global trade and diminishing capital flows “This sluggish growth under-

scores why it’s critically important for countries to pursue policies that will boost economic growth and improve the lives of those living in extreme poverty,” said World Bank group president Jim Yong Kim. “Economic growth remains the most important driver of poverty reduction, and that’s why we’re very concerned that growth is slowing sharply in commodityexporting developing countries due to depressed commodity prices,” he said.

Growth in the East Asia and Pacific region is projected to slow to 6.3 percent in 2016, with China’s expansion expected to ease to 6.7 percent. The region excluding China is projected to grow 4.8 percent in 2016, unchanged from 2015.

P36.35-P43.45 Unleaded Gasoline

oPriceS il P today

P24.75-P29.60 Diesel P34.55-P39.15 Kerosene Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Wednesday, June 8, 2016

F oreign e xchange r ate Currency

Unit

US Dollar

Peso

United States

Dollar

1.000000

46.1870

Japan

Yen

0.009317

0.4303

UK

Pound

1.454600

67.1836

Hong Kong

Dollar

0.128781

5.9480

Switzerland

Franc

1.036699

47.8820

Canada

Dollar

0.785299

36.2706

Singapore

Dollar

0.740247

34.1898

Australia

Dollar

0.745700

34.4416

Bahrain

Dinar

2.652450

122.5087

Saudi Arabia

Rial

0.266645

12.3155

Brunei

Dollar

0.737518

34.0637

Indonesia

Rupiah

0.000075

0.0035

Thailand

Baht

0.028385

1.3110

UAE

Dirham

0.272287

12.5761

Euro

Euro

1.136000

52.4684

Korea

Won

0.000866

0.0400

China

Yuan

0.152184

7.0289

India

Rupee

0.015004

0.6930

Malaysia

Ringgit

0.246609

11.3901

New Zealand

Dollar

0.697300

32.2062

Taiwan

Dollar

0.031114

1.4371 Source: PDS Bridge

THURSDAY: JUNE 9, 2016

B2

BUSINESS business@thestandard.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com

The STandard BuSineSS daily STockS review Wednesday, June 8, 2016

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low 7.88 75.3 124.4 107 56.5 2.49 4.2 17 30.45 2.6 890 1.01 100 1.46 30.5 91.5 137 361.2 57 180 1700 124 3.26

2.5 66 88.05 88.1 45.45 1.97 1.68 12.02 19.6 1.02 625 0.225 78 0.9 17.8 62 88.35 276 41 118.2 1200 59 2.65

47 5 1.46 2.36 15.3 89 20.6 125 85 36 65.8 2.97 4.14 21.5 21.6 11.96 9.13 11.8 2.89 31.8 109 20.75 15.3 9.4 0.98 241 3.95 4 74 33.9 90 13.26 293 0.62 5.25 12.98 6.75 15 7.03 3.4 4.5 6.3 7.34 1450 3.28 0.315 2.18 2.65 234 5.28 1.3 2.17

35.9 1.11 1.01 1.86 7.92 40.3 15.32 62.5 20.2 10.08 29.15 1.5 1.5 10.72 9.55 9.04 6.02 8.86 1.06 20.2 71.5 13.86 13.24 5.34 0.395 173 2.3 1.63 33 23.35 17.3 5.88 250.2 0.335 3.87 8.45 3 10.04 3.03 1.95 1 4.02 5.9 801 1.55 0.138 1.02 2.09 152 4.28 0.640 1.2

0.59 59.2 30.05 2.16 7.39 3.4 3.35 823.5 10.2 84 3.35 4.92 0.66 1455 7.5 76 9.25 0.85 17.3 0.71 5.53 0.0670 2.31 1.61 84.9 974 1.66 1.39 156 0.710 0.435 0.510

0.44 48.1 20.85 1.6 6.62 0.23 0.23 634.5 7.390 12.8 2.6 2.26 0.152 837 5.3 49.55 4.84 0.59 12 0.580 4.2 0.030 1.23 0.550 59.3 751 1.13 0.93 80 0.211 0.179 0.310

10.5 1.99 1.75 0.375 41.4 5.6 5.59 1.44 1.97 1.48 0.201 0.69 10.96 0.97

6.74 0.65 1.2 0.192 30.05 3.36 4.96 0.79 1.1 0.97 0.083 0.415 2.4 0.83

STOCKS

High

Low

FINANCIAL 4.1 3.81 45.75 45.1 110.00 108.80 97.50 96.15 37.6 37.4 3.09 3.09 1.40 1.37 14.2 14 18 17.6 1.81 1.81 610.00 610.00 0.550 0.540 88 87.3 0.95 0.93 15.00 14.88 53.90 52.45 102 101.7 265 260 32 31.5 203 198.2 1381.00 1380.00 65.00 64.35 1.53 1.53 INDUSTRIAL Aboitiz Power Corp.

48.9 48.6 46.7 Agrinurture Inc. 3.57 3.74 3.56 Alliance Tuna Intl Inc. 0.88 0.88 0.86 Alsons Cons.

1.96 1.95 1.92 Asiabest Group 12.04 13.38 12.04 Bogo Medelin 55.65 55.05 55.05 Century Food 21.95 22 21.85 Chemphil 172.5 235 175.1 Conc. Aggr. ‘A’ 194 195 189 Cirtek Holdings (Chips) 18.34 18.2 17.82 Concepcion 47.5 47.95 47.75 Crown Asia 2.1 2.15 2.1 Da Vinci Capital 5.42 5.65 5.35 Del Monte 11.5 11.58 11.46 DNL Industries Inc. 10.300 10.400 10.140 Emperador 7.33 7.43 7.35 Energy Devt. Corp. (EDC) 5.75 5.79 5.69 EEI 7.45 7.45 7.30 Euro-Med Lab 1.68 1.69 1.69 First Gen Corp.

23 23.25 22.9 First Holdings ‘A’ 67.8 67.95 67.5 12.38 Ginebra San Miguel Inc. 12.48 12.38 Holcim Philippines Inc. 15.20 15.46 15.10 Integ. Micro-Electronics 5.72 5.73 5.56 Ionics Inc 2.290 2.370 2.300 Jollibee Foods Corp.

239.00 239.80 237.00 LMG Chemicals 2.14 2.13 2.13 Mabuhay Vinyl 3.48 3.39 3.05 Macay Holdings 39.85 38.85 38.85 Manila Water Co. Inc. 27.05 28.25 27.15 Maxs Group 29.4 30.5 28.9 Megawide 6.55 6.9 6.55 Mla. Elect. Co `A’ 315.00 317.00 314.00 MG Holdings 0.270 0.270 0.265 Pepsi-Cola Products Phil. 3.62 3.65 3.58 Petron Corporation 11.82 11.90 11.74 Phil H2O 3.01 3.1 3.01 Phinma Corporation 11.54 11.64 11.64 Phoenix Petroleum Phils. 5.25 5.35 5.18 Phoenix Semiconductor 1.78 1.79 1.73 Pryce Corp. `A’ 2.84 2.84 2.77 RFM Corporation 4.20 4.25 4.20 Roxas Holdings 4.1 4.2 4.1 San Miguel ‘Pure Foods `A’ 217 217.6 215 Splash Corporation 2.5 2.53 2.51 Swift Foods, Inc. 0.150 0.152 0.150 TKC Steel Corp.

1.69 1.79 1.69 Trans-Asia Oil 2.63 2.72 2.60 Universal Robina 202 203.2 201.2 Victorias Milling 4.68 4.6 4.6 Vitarich Corp.

0.93 0.96 0.91 Vulcan Ind’l.

1.33 1.30 1.25 HOLDING FIRMS Abacus Cons. `A’ 0.390 0.390 0.385 Aboitiz Equity 78.05 78.05 77.60 Alliance Global Inc. 15.56 16.12 15.70 Anglo Holdings A 1.16 1.16 1.11 Anscor `A’ 6.00 6.10 6.00 ATN Holdings A 0.365 0.375 0.365 ATN Holdings B 0.370 0.375 0.370 Ayala Corp `A’ 855 860 853.5 Cosco Capital 8.03 8.01 7.9 DMCI Holdings 13.14 13.38 13.16 F&J Prince ‘A’ 5.1 5.1 5.1 Filinvest Dev. Corp.

6.40 6.44 6.39 Forum Pacific 0.243 0.240 0.227 GT Capital 1462 172 1420 House of Inv. 6.46 6.46 6.30 JG Summit Holdings 85.00 86.00 84.90 Lopez Holdings Corp.

7.95 8 7.78 Lodestar Invt. Holdg.Corp. 0.69 0.7 0.69 LT Group 15.9 16 15.9 Mabuhay Holdings `A’ 0.490 0.500 0.480 Metro Pacific Inv. Corp. 6.4 6.67 6.45 0.0330 0.0320 Pacifica `A’ 0.0330 Prime Media Hldg 1.280 1.310 1.290 Prime Orion 1.820 1.850 1.820 San Miguel Corp `A’ 78.60 81.30 78.00 SM Investments Inc. 980.00 998.50 971.00 Solid Group Inc. 1.16 1.17 1.15 South China Res. Inc. 0.81 0.81 0.80 Top Frontier 184.000 184.000 180.000 Unioil Res. & Hldgs 0.3050 0.3100 0.3050 Wellex Industries 0.2010 0.2070 0.2010 Zeus Holdings 0.330 0.330 0.315 PROPERTY 8990 HLDG 7.900 7.960 7.810 A. Brown Co., Inc. 1.34 1.42 1.31 Araneta Prop `A’ 2.480 2.500 2.370 Arthaland Corp.

0.265 0.280 0.270 Ayala Land `B’ 38.950 39.300 38.050 Belle Corp. `A’ 3.4 3.45 3.36 Cebu Holdings 5.2 5.2 5.19 Century Property 0.520 0.52 0.500 City & Land Dev. 1.00 1.04 1.00 Cityland Dev. `A’ 1.040 1.080 1.050 Crown Equities Inc. 0.132 0.134 0.131 Cyber Bay Corp.

0.550 0.570 0.540 Double Dragon 59.9 65.1 60 Empire East Land 0.800 0.800 0.790 AG Finance Asia United Bank Banco de Oro Unibank Inc. Bank of PI China Bank BDO Leasing & Fin. INc. Bright Kindle Resources COL Financial Eastwest Bank I-Remit Inc. Manulife Fin. Corp.

MEDCO Holdings Metrobank Natl. Reinsurance Corp.

PB Bank Phil. National Bank Phil. Savings Bank PSE Inc. RCBC `A’ Security Bank Sun Life Financial Union Bank Vantage Equities

Trading Summary FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL HOLDING FIRMS PROPERTY SERVICES MINING & OIL GRAND TOTAL

Close

SHARES 13,152,639 84,830,185 166,011,613 230,346,938 172,113,351 1,405,983,463 2,080,675,569

4.05 45.1 108.00 97.70 37.5 3.11 1.41 14.1 17.5 1.87 610.00 0.550 87.9 0.94 14.96 52.40 100 260 31.65 198.2 1358.00 64.45 1.53

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

4.04 45.75 109.00 96.20 37.6 3.09 1.38 14.1 17.9 1.81 610.00 0.550 87.3 0.95 15.00 53.65 102 264 31.7 203 1380.00 64.45 1.53

-0.25 1.44 0.93 -1.54 0.27 -0.64 -2.13 0.00 2.29 -3.21 0.00 0.00 -0.68 1.06 0.27 2.39 2.00 1.54 0.16 2.42 1.62 0.00 0.00

142,000 31,200 3,686,020 1,525,340 53,200 81,000 619,000 77,100 1,825,100 27,000 850 139,000 2,766,110 15,000 205,700 284,170 4,160 600 427,300 1,117,170 165 117,640 6,000

47.05 3.7 0.87 1.92 13 55.05 22 190 189.5 17.82 47.75 2.1 5.39 11.58 10.180 7.40 5.71 7.45 1.69 22.9 67.65 12.38 15.30 5.57 2.310 237.00 2.13 3.39 38.85 28.15 29 6.7 314.60 0.270 3.61 11.86 3.01 11.64 5.34 1.73 2.78 4.25 4.1 215 2.52 0.150 1.72 2.68 202.6 4.6 0.91 1.30

-3.78 3.64 -1.14 -2.04 7.97 -1.08 0.23 10.14 -2.32 -2.84 0.53 0.00 -0.55 0.70 -1.17 0.95 -0.70 0.00 0.60 -0.43 -0.22 -0.80 0.66 -2.62 0.87 -0.84 -0.47 -2.59 -2.51 4.07 -1.36 2.29 -0.13 0.00 -0.28 0.34 0.00 0.87 1.71 -2.81 -2.11 1.19 0.00 -0.92 0.80 0.00 1.78 1.90 0.30 -1.71 -2.15 -2.26

3,450,100 619,000 163,000 2,601,000 5,600 100 165,600 1,660 2,540 125,500 300 1,929,000 555,500 122,400 11,057,500 1,658,600 15,044,600 720,800 30,000 3,198,600 236,810 200 84,200 361,000 2,702,000 505,640 1,000 22,000 1,500 6,110,900 3,215,700 751,100 244,050 400,000 377,000 5,217,800 29,000 3,000 568,300 1,015,000 158,000 2,500,000 38,000 2,500 63,000 3,120,000 1,160,000 4,262,000 1,454,010 24,000 7,639,000 946,000

0.390 77.65 16.10 1.16 6.00 0.365 0.370 855 7.94 13.22 5.1 6.44 0.227 1420 6.46 85.90 7.79 0.69 15.92 0.500 6.59 0.0320 1.290 1.840 80.15 972.50 1.16 0.80 184.000 0.3050 0.2040 0.325

0.00 -0.51 3.47 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 -1.12 0.61 0.00 0.63 -6.58 -2.87 0.00 1.06 -2.01 0.00 0.13 2.04 2.97 -3.03 0.78 1.10 1.97 -0.77 0.00 -1.23 0.00 0.00 1.49 -1.52

12,450,000 2,054,560 10,898,800 208,000 1,500 2,840,000 640,000 425,740 7,736,300 7,979,600 13,000 1,551,800 100,000 102,340 3,500 7,302,420 2,574,300 408,000 3,188,700 1,020,000 67,011,300 20,400,000 72,000 1,130,000 834,110 267,920 94,000 63,000 85,330 2,890,000 180,000 4,750,000

7.880 1.36 2.390 0.275 38.050 3.44 5.2 0.510 1.00 1.080 0.132 0.560 64.5 0.790

-0.25 1.49 -3.63 3.77 -2.31 1.18 0.00 -1.92 0.00 3.85 0.00 1.82 7.68 -1.25

183,100 7,077,000 425,000 520,000 12,791,900 2,292,000 300 23,632,000 46,000 90,000 270,000 6,853,000 6,129,470 1,722,000

52 Weeks

Previous

High Low

STOCKS

Close

High

Close

%

Net Foreign

Change Volume

Trade/Buying

2.22 2.1 1.8 5.94 0.180 0.470 0.72 27 8.54 31.8 2.29 4.9 21.35 1.06 7.56 1.62 8.59

1.15 1.42 1.27 4.13 0.090 0.290 0.39 23 2.69 22.15 1.6 3.1 15.08 0.69 3.38 0.83 5.73

Global-Estate 1.00 Filinvest Land,Inc. 1.99 Interport `A’ 1.30 Megaworld 4.61 MRC Allied Ind. 0.092 Phil. Estates Corp.

0.2900 Phil. Realty `A’ 0.475 Phil. Tob. Flue Cur & Redry 43.90 Primex Corp.

8.53 Robinson’s Land `B’ 29.60 Rockwell 1.63 Shang Properties Inc. 3.09 SM Prime Holdings 25.45 Sta. Lucia Land Inc. 0.91 Starmalls 6.39 Suntrust Home Dev. Inc. 1.040 Vista Land & Lifescapes 5.360

0.00 -1.01 0.00 -3.47 0.00 -1.72 4.21 -4.56 0.82 0.84 -1.84 0.00 1.38 2.20 -0.78 0.00 -0.19

2,388,000 53,535,000 100,000 58,620,000 4,750,000 2,080,000 530,000 13,500 60,600 2,425,600 188,000 1,000 21,284,500 4,573,000 4,400 608,000 16,633,100

10.5 66 1.44 1.09 14.88 15.82 0.1430 5.06 99.1 2.6 7.67 1700 2720 8.41 70.5 1.97 119.5 7 5.8 12.5 0.017

1.97 35.2 1 0.63 10.5 8.6 0.0770 2.95 56.1 1.6 4.8 830 1600 5.95 17.02 1.23 102.6 3.01 4 8.72 0.011

0.8200 2.2800 5.93

0.041 1.200 2.34

12.28 3.32 2.53 3.2 95.5 1 2.46 15.2

6.5 1.91 1.01 1.95 3.1 0.650 1.8 6

1.040 22.8 6.41 185 22.9 3486 0.760 2.28 46.05 90.1

0.37 14.54 3 79 4.39 2748 0.435 1.2 31.45 60.55

11.6 0.85 2.95 10 0.490 1.9

7.59 0.63 1.71 5 0.315 1.14

2GO Group’ ABS-CBN Acesite Hotel APC Group, Inc. Asian Terminals Inc. Bloomberry Boulevard Holdings Calata Corp.

Cebu Air Inc. (5J) Discovery World DFNN Inc. FEUI Globe Telecom GMA Network Inc. Grand Plaza Hotel Harbor Star I.C.T.S.I. Imperial Res. `A’ Imperial Res. `B’ IPeople Inc. `A’ IP E-Game Ventures Inc. IPM Holdings Island Info ISM Communications Jackstones LBC Express Leisure & Resorts Liberty Telecom Lorenzo Shipping Macroasia Corp.

Manila Broadcasting Manila Bulletin Manila Jockey Melco Crown Metro Retail NOW Corp.

Pacific Online Sys. Corp.

PAL Holdings Inc. Phil. Seven Corp.

Philweb.Com Inc. PLDT Common PremiereHorizon Premium Leisure Puregold Robinsons RTL SBS Phil. Corp.

SSI Group STI Holdings Transpacific Broadcast Travellers Waterfront Phils.

Yehey

-0.28 -1.75 0.00 -1.69 1.87 -2.24 0.00 1.72 1.82 -0.50 -1.02 0.00 0.50 1.27 0.00 -5.83 5.74 -4.43 -10.38 0.00 0.00 1.16 0.00 -0.61 2.51 -0.68 -0.13 16.39 -1.77 1.87 5.26 3.57 0.00 -3.63 0.75 1.79 2.89 -0.20 -11.21 1.02 4.90 -2.25 -0.94 1.05 0.06 -1.25 2.58 0.00 8.74 0.59 -2.94 -0.75

126,500 764,280 51,000 655,000 2,100 9,711,000 28,950,000 1,615,000 1,950,410 313,000 125,200 70 63,605 405,500 66,200 405,000 2,291,440 71,000 520 700 10,800,000 1,058,200 12,360,000 32,324,000 28,000 25,600 750,000 9,995,000 9,000 49,000 2,300 45,000 35,000 14,359,000 4,208,000 7,676,000 219,800 9,000 3,450 216,500 532,175 17,640,000 23,556,000 4,718,800 3,036,780 239,100 5,121,000 644,000 35,000 523,000 1,100,000 18,900

0.0098 5.45 17.24 25 0.330 12.7 12.8 1.19 1.62 9.5 4.2 0.48 0.420 0.440 0.022 0.023 8.2 49.2 4.27 1.030 3.06 0.020 7.67 12.88 10.42 0.040 420 9 0.016

0.0043 1.72 6.47 9.43 0.236 6.5 5.11 0.85 0.77 5.99 1.17 0.305 0.2130 0.2160 0.013 0.014 3.240 18.96 2.11 0.365 1.54 0.012 5.4 7.26 2.27 0.015 115.9 3.67 0.0100

Abra Mining Apex `A’ Atlas Cons. `A’ Atok-Big Wedge `A’ Basic Energy Corp.

Benguet Corp `A’ Benguet Corp `B’ Century Peak Metals Hldgs Coal Asia Dizon Ferronickel Geograce Res. Phil. Inc. Lepanto `A’ Lepanto `B’ Manila Mining `A’ Manila Mining `B’ Marcventures Hldgs., Inc. Nickelasia Nihao Mineral Resources Omico Oriental Peninsula Res. Oriental Pet. `A’ Petroenergy Res. Corp.

Philex `A’ PhilexPetroleum Philodrill Corp. `A’ Semirara Corp.

TA Petroleum United Paragon

0.00 3.14 -0.68 0.00 -0.87 -0.90 0.00 0.00 0.00 3.50 0.00 3.39 -1.96 0.00 7.69 0.00 -2.15 -0.44 0.00 -1.67 0.00 0.00 0.74 2.04 -3.41 7.69 1.00 0.00 0.00

1,161,000,0004,840,000.00 1,985,000 1,375,180.00 35,000 -4,340.00 300 2,740,000 14,200 2,200 -15,666.00 481,000 360,000 21,700 5,915.00 10,295,000 3,360,350.00 5,680,000 1,475,000.00 10,830,000 1,090,000 18,900.00 46,700,000 700,000 981,000 56,170.00 6,042,000 -1,028,060.00 85,000 6,000 506,000 59,900,000 28,000 1,923,100 265,938.00 5,291,000 -52,200.00 65,300,000 130,000.00 1,824,220 34,372,066.00 608,000 12,450.00 21,200,000

70 120 515 8.21 12.28 1060

33 101.5 480 5.88 6.5 997

1047

1011

84.8

75

158,261,275.00 3,675,020.00

1.34

1

ABS-CBN Holdings Corp.

First Gen G GLOBE PREF P GMA Holdings Inc. Leisure and Resort PCOR-Preferred A PCOR-Preferred B PF Pref 2 PNX PREF 3B SMC Preferred C SMC Preferred D SMC Preferred E SMC Preferred F SMC Preferred H SMC Preferred I Swift Pref

-1.87 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.19 -0.37 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.60

688,610 100,000 2,000 100 1,000,000 19,640 20 700 113 1,000 2,700 1,400 5,150 30,950 30,430 33,000

-10,344,920.00

6.98

0.8900 LR Warrant

-2.87

496,000

0.50 0.32 -0.24

983,000 319,000 6,902,100

0.64

27,900

197,000.00 356,585.00 218,788,393 74,078,197.00

-8,776,204.00

-35,326,073.50 -2,161,665.50 1,131,425 61,416,192.00 -17,264.00 -1,664,345.00 -14,880.00 630,480.00 1,184,075.00

33,880.00 -411,716.00 31,136,932.00 -869,485.00 23,149,588.00 962,604.00 12,059,630.00 -6,059,032.00 106,250.00 123,764.00 -122,610.00 25,758,736.00

7,202,130.00 -1,602,445.00 -1,370,515.00 -2,098,698.00 1,313,680.00 2,805,460.00 -31,000.00 -189,890.00 -223,240.00 1,764,930.00 -46,200.00

-26,240.00 74,769,350.00 87,400.00 57,200.00 1,016,820.00 4,620,000.00 7,750,772.00 -68,652,562.00

-130,250.00 69,613,490.00 23,299,682.00 33,280,844.00 5,670,529.00 -13,240,875.00 13,009,869.50 4,191,509.00 15,727,892.00 480,000.00 173,763,611.00 572,800.00 -92,000.00 8,927,332.50 -2,063,985.00 -365,638.00 15,250.00

128,291.00 42,010.00

-21,500.00 1,129,500.00 15,681,333.50 1,185,000.00

Alterra Capital Italpinas Xurpas

12.88

5.95

130.7

105.6 First Metro ETF

1.02 0.99 1.00 2.03 1.94 1.97 1.30 1.30 1.30 4.61 4.42 4.45 0.093 0.089 0.092 0.2850 0.2400 0.2850 0.495 0.465 0.495 43.80 41.90 41.90 8.6 8.52 8.6 30.80 29.30 29.85 1.63 1.6 1.6 3.09 3.09 3.09 26.40 25.55 25.80 0.94 0.9 0.93 6.34 5.96 6.34 1.040 1.000 1.040 5.400 5.330 5.350 SERVICES 7.24 7.28 7.22 7.22 51.4 51.7 49.9 50.5 1.26 1.36 1.26 1.26 0.590 0.590 0.580 0.580 10.68 10.88 10.8 10.88 4.91 5.09 4.80 4.80 0.0610 0.0620 0.0600 0.0610 2.9 2.95 2.9 2.95 99 101.1 98.4 100.8 1.99 1.99 1.85 1.98 6.83 6.80 6.61 6.76 960 960 960 960 2400 2442 2360 2412 6.31 6.39 6.30 6.39 21.60 21.60 21.60 21.60 1.20 1.19 1.13 1.13 61 64.9 61.2 64.5 13.98 13.98 1.32 13.36 189.8 180 135 170.1 11.54 11.6 11.52 11.54 0.0100 0.0100 0.0098 0.0100 9.50 9.62 9.50 9.61 0.325 0.330 0.320 0.325 1.6500 1.6900 1.6400 1.6400 2.39 2.45 2.39 2.45 11.7 11.9 11.6 11.62 7.76 7.76 7.60 7.75 3.05 3.72 3.23 3.55 1.13 1.11 1.11 1.11 2.68 2.74 2.61 2.73 19.00 20.00 19.00 20.00 0.560 0.580 0.560 0.580 2 2 2 2 2.48 2.47 2.38 2.39 4.00 4.08 4.00 4.03 2.790 2.880 2.790 2.840 17.98 18.5 17.98 18.5 5.01 5.00 4.87 5.00 124.00 124.00 110.10 110.10 24.40 24.65 24.20 24.65 2040.00 2144.00 2032.00 2140.00 0.445 0.460 0.435 0.435 1.060 1.100 1.030 1.050 42.10 43.15 42.70 43.15 81.95 82.05 81.50 82.00 6.38 6.41 6.24 6.30 2.71 2.82 2.75 2.78 0.600 0.610 0.590 0.600 1.83 1.99 1.96 1.99 3.39 3.48 3.4 3.41 0.340 0.340 0.325 0.330 6.650 6.640 6.500 6.600 MINING & OIL 0.0044 0.0044 0.0043 0.0044 2.23 2.38 2.25 2.30 4.38 4.45 4.34 4.35 12.66 12.66 12.64 12.66 0.231 0.235 0.229 0.229 7.7800 7.74 7.71 7.7100 7.4600 7.4600 7.4600 7.4600 0.64 0.64 0.63 0.64 0.475 0.480 0.475 0.475 8.58 9.10 8.43 8.88 0.900 0.900 0.890 0.900 0.295 0.305 0.290 0.305 0.255 0.255 0.250 0.250 0.265 0.270 0.265 0.265 0.0130 0.0140 0.0130 0.0140 0.0150 0.0150 0.0140 0.0150 1.86 1.85 1.8 1.82 4.59 4.74 4.5 4.57 2.66 2.7 2.58 2.66 0.6000 0.5900 0.5800 0.5900 1.2800 1.2800 1.2500 1.2800 0.0110 0.0110 0.0110 0.0100 4.05 4.08 4.05 4.08 7.35 7.50 7.28 7.50 4.40 4.52 4.21 4.25 0.0130 0.0140 0.0130 0.0140 129.40 132.50 129.50 130.70 4.09 4.2 4 4.09 0.0120 0.0120 0.0110 0.0120 PREFERRED 50.9 51.5 49 49.95 122 122 122 122 532 532 532 532 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 1.11 1.11 1.11 1.11 1026 1050 1028 1028 1090 1087 1086 1086 1027 1027 1027 1027 113.3 113.3 113.3 113.3 81.4 81.4 81.4 81.4 76 76 76 76 76.6 76.6 76.6 76.6 78.1 78.1 78.1 78.1 77.05 77.05 77.05 77.05 77 77 77 77 2.5 2.54 2.06 2.54 WARRANTS & BONDS 3.140 3.200 3.020 3.050 SME 3.99 4.06 3.98 4.01 3.09 3.23 3.02 3.1 16.8 17.2 16.72 16.76 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 125.8 126.9 126 126.6

T op g ainerS VALUE 1,097,673,391.68 1,401,837,068.562 2,565,929,303.11 2,047,247,165.118 2,450,020,345.03 336,430,566.711 10,023,771,765.01

Low

STOCKS

FINANCIAL 1,734.80 (UP) 3.20 INDUSTRIAL 11,905.37 (DOWN) 40.14 HOLDING FIRMS 7,633.54 (UP) 3.85 PROPERTY 3,339.43 (DOWN) 11.50 SERVICES 1,648.17 (UP) 43.82 MINING & OIL 11,291.56 (UP) 76.55 PSEI 7,722.79 (UP0 12.25 All Shares Index 4,593.29 (UP) 8.66 Gainers: 90; Losers: 86; Unchanged: 64; Total: 240

-21,737,020.00 44,001,060.00

42,650,690.00 17,600.00 129,592,805.00 568,190.00 -14,523,296.00 -385,208.00

22,788.00 10,397,020.00 -64,410.00 34,920.00 54,009,461.00

515,950.00

31,336,494.00 11,900.00 -4,805,000.00 -32,500.00 -16,800.00 -3,147,474.00 180,510.00 96,570.00

-7,817,300.00 4,527,060.00 50,510.00 1,814,328.00 367,596.00 -80,800.00 713,423,550.00 13,200.00 -1,863,040.00 44,125,130.00 -24,350,059.00 -586,890.00 -489,210.00

-4,350,472.00 -9,760,000.00

45,320.00

-87,780.00 15,300.00 -9,426,804.00

T op L oSerS Close (P)

Change (%)

STOCKS

Close (P)

Change (%)

Liberty Telecom

3.55

16.39

Phil. Seven Corp.

110.10

-11.21

Chemphil

190

10.14

Imperial Res. `B'

170.1

-10.38

Transpacific Broadcast

1.99

8.74

Forum Pacific

0.227

-6.58

Asiabest Group

13

7.97

Harbor Star

1.13

-5.83

Manila Mining `A'

0.0140

7.69

Phil. Tob. Flue Cur & Redry

41.90

-4.56

Philodrill Corp. `A'

0.0140

7.69

Imperial Res. `A'

13.36

-4.43

Double Dragon

64.5

7.68

Aboitiz Power Corp.

47.05

-3.78

I.C.T.S.I.

64.5

5.74

Melco Crown

2.39

-3.63

Manila Broadcasting

20.00

5.26

Araneta Prop `A'

2.390

-3.63

PLDT Common

2140.00

4.90

Megaworld

4.45

-3.47

THURSDAY: JUNE 9, 2016

B3

BUSINESS business@thestandard.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com

SMIC to merge retail units Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition IN THE course of my long stay in Britain as a student, I developed a liking and respect for certain British traditions, practices and institutions. One of the traditions that I especially got to like was the tradition known as “Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition.”

Through most of its modern history the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland – the UK for short – has been governed by two political parties, the Conservative (Tory) Party and the Labour Party, which have alternated at holding the levers of governmental power. The Liberal-Democratic Party (Lib-Dem) came into the picture towards the end of the 20th century, but Labour and the Conservatives have together accounted for almost the entire 528-person membership of Parliament.

The UK has a parliamentary system of government, and under that system a government may have its electoral mandate cut short by the approval of a motion of no-confidence. A general election then ensues.

The governing party may win the election and have its mandate renewed, or the other party—known officially as Her (or His) Majesty’s Loyal Opposition—may be favored by the electorate and move into the driver’s seat at Westminster, where the Parliament is located.

What I like about the phrase Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition is the word ‘loyal’. The members of Britain’s political parties know that their party will not win every election and that the party will then be out of office. Win or lose, in office or out, the members remain loyal to the party. When out of office, they remain with their party and Her (or His) Majesty’s Loyal Opposition. No member leaves the Parliamentary party except for policy differences or personal principles.

Nor is the concept of loyal opposition considered a trivial matter by the British political system. The salary of the Leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition is an item in the budget for the Parliament.

What a contrast is presented by the aftermath of the recent election in this country. Indeed, the contrast could not be starker. In the election’s immediate aftermath the nation has seen the quick decimation of the Liberal Party, which had around 114 members and was the head of the pro-Aquino administration coalition prior to the election. Around 80 Liberal members of the House of Representatives have either formally joined the President-elect’s party, the Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Laban (PDP-Laban) or indicated an intention to enter into a coalition with that party. Two days ago the former Liberal Speaker of the House of Representatives and 17 other Liberal members of that chamber indicated that they would be entering into a coalition with PDP-Laban.

With that move by Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., the once-dominant Liberal Party has become very much a minority party.

In this country, there has not been a loyal opposition since 1972, when President Ferdinand Marcos installed a martial law regime. Up until then political dominance was contested by the two giant parties, to wit, the party of Manuel Quezon and Sergio Osmena (Nacionalista Party) and the post-Commonwealth party founded by Manuel Roxas (Liberal Party). Though there was no deep philosophical division between the two parties, discipline did prevail, although there were occasional convenience-driven movements by certain members from one party to the other.

After the 12-year martial law regime that began in 1972, party discipline fell by the wayside and the era of naked political convenienceseeking began. Convenience took the form of access to the powers-thatbe and to priority in the financing of local projects, especially those involving infrastructure. During the post-Edsa revolution heyday of Speaker Ramon Mitra it was LDP (Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino) that almost all the politicians wanted to join. When Fidel V. Ramos defeated Mitra in 1992, the incoming president’s Lakas-NUCD became the political magnet, and when Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo elbowed Joseph Estrada out of Malacanang in 2001, it was the coalition between Lakas-NUCD and Arroyo’s Kampi that the mercenary political class gravitated to. More recently, a resuscitated Liberal Party became the honeycomb when PNoy Aquino ascended to Malacanang in 2010.

With no philosophical North Star to guide them, LDP, Lakas-NUCD, Kampi—and the martial law KBL before them – lost political favor upon their electoral loss, and now the Liberal Party is about to follow them to political decrepitude. Six years from today—or, who knows, sooner— PDP-Laban is bound to suffer that fate too.

The persistent pursuit of a political philosophy, or a firm set of political beliefs, was what led to the establishment in Britain of a tradition known as Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition. And the absence of a guiding political philosophy is what led to the development in this country of the practice of disloyal political opposition.

In the UK a united Labour Party headed by the State-paid Leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition has been working, in united fashion, to bring down David Cameron’s Conservative government and dominate Parliament once more. In this country, by contrast, we have the spectacle of members of all the existing political parties ‘coalescing’ with the incoming administration in order to get as many scraps of budgetary food from Malacanang’s kitchen.

Very bad for this country’s political soul. Worse for its governance.

E-mail: rudyromero777@yahoo.com

By Jenniffer B. Austria

CONGLOMERATE SM Investments Corp., the holding company of tycoon Henry Sy, said Wednesday it plans to consolidate all retailrelated businesses under an umbrella company that will boost retail sales by 16.7 percent to P251 billion from P215 billion before the merger.

SM Investments said in an investor presentation that the merger of all retail-related businesses under SM Retail would add greater diversity and a more extensive footprint to group’s portfolio.

The merger will also be earnings and value accretive and will improve returns, it said.

SM Investments said after the merger, it would a 77.3-percent interest in SM Retail while the Sy family would continue to own a 22.7-percent stake.

Aside from higher revenues, the combined entity will have 1,927 outlets and 2.4 million square meters of gross floor area across a diverse portfolio

of food, household appliances, DIY, furniture, apparel, footwear, pharmaceuticals/cosmetics and specialty retailing stores.

Prior to the merger, SM Retail only has 553 stores and 1.8 million sqm of GFA. SM Investments is also expanding its minimart store concept under Alfamart. The conglomerate said while Alfamart remained in the testing phase, it now has 126 branches of Alfmart mostly in provincial areas south of Metro Manila.

SM Investments said the minimart concept was different to convenience store, as it offers supermarket pricing and readyto-cook items versus ready-toeat products. Alfamart stores are also located mostly in residential areas.

Amaia launches retail strip. Amaia Land launches its first community retail strip at Amaia Steps Sucat and Amaia Steps Bicutan. The retail strip is envisioned to bring convenience and new choices to Amaia residents and neighboring villages.

Shown during the launching are (from left) Amaia sales head for south projects Au Viray, customer care group manager Tricia Macawile, project development manager Kristel Manalo and project development associate Dana Kison.

Market extends rally to fourth day STOCKS rose for a fourth day, traded above $50 a barrel. producer Nigeria. following a positive lead from Investors were given a positive Japan’s Nikkei swung back and Wall Street and reports that lead from Wall Street. The Dow forth through the day following Chinese imports beat estimates. and S&P 500 shifted higher, led news that the country’s economy The Philippine Stock by energy firms as crude pushed grew a little more than first thought Exchange index, the 30-company above $50 to sit at 11-month in January-March. In the afternoon benchmark, advanced 12 points, highs thanks to a weaker dollar the Nikkei was up 0.5 percent by or 0.2 percent, to close at 7,722.79 and output disruptions in key the break. With Bloomberg, AFP Wednesday, the highest in 12 months. The bellwether was EXTRA JUDICIAL NOTICE OF DISSOLUTION also up 11.1 percent since SETTLEMENT the start of the year.

Please be advised that at separate meetings Notice is hereby given that The broader all-share held on 7 April 2016, the Stockholders and Board the estate of the late Santos Garcia Estacio and Ma. index gained 8 points, or of Directors of SUMMIT TECHNOLOGIES, Pilar Yatco Estacio has 0.2 percent, to settle at INC. (the “Corporation”) with office address at been extrajudicially settled Business Solutions Center, Meralco Compound, 4,593.29, on value turnover with Deed of Extra-Judicial Ortigas Center, Pasig City, approved to dissolve Settlement of the Estate of P10 billion. Advancers among their heirs as per the Corporation through the shortening of its led gainers, 90 to 86, while Doc. No. 188, Page No. 39; corporate life to 30 June 2017.

64 issues were unchanged.

Book No. 1; Series of 2016 before Atty. Jerome L. Flojo.

Fourteen of the 20 most (SGD.) ARSENIO C. CABRERA, JR. Notary Public PTR No: active stocks ended in the 1420818/01-08-16/ Pasig City Corporate Secretary green, led by DoubleDragon Properties Corp., which climbed 7.7 percent to NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC P64.50. PLDT Inc. rose 4.9 percent to P2,140, while In compliance with POEA Rules & Regulation, the public is hereby Manila Water Company inform that the following persons, whose names are listed below, are Inc. picked up 4.1 percent to the new Board of Directors of MARANAW LUZON SHIPPING CO., P28.15.

INC. Emerging-market stocks rose for a fifth day and South ROBERTO R. CASTANEDA Chairman and President Korea’s won led a rally for VINCENT C. MIRANDA Vice-President DOMINGA R. CASTANEDA Corporate Secretary currencies as Chinese data and Treasurer showed imports into the YOICHIRO ITO Director world’s largest trading nation HIROSHI ARAI Director beat estimates and crude oil ( T S - J U N E 9 ,16 & 2 3 , 2 016)

(TS-MAY 26,JUNE 2/9, 2016)

( T S - J U N E 9 , 2 016)

B4 IN BRIEF Deposit auction successful BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas on Wednesday awarded P30 billion worth of short-term deposits under the interest rate corridor system.

The term deposit facility was oversubscribed, after receiving total tenders of P199.709 billion.

Tenders for the seven-day facility was six times oversubscribed at 82.43 billion, while tenders for the 28day papers reached P117.27 billion. Both debt papers were awarded at a rate of 2.5 percent.

Bangko Sentral Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. said the first TDF auction was conducted successfully without any technical hitch.

“We are pleased with how the auctions were conducted without any technical hitch. That the auction was filled at the same rate as the ODF [overnight deposit facility] seems to indicate that there is still significant liquidity in the system, which we expect will be siphoned off in the ODF throughout the day,” Tetangco said in a text message to reporters. Gabrielle H. Binaday

Real estate index cheered GLOBAL debt watcher Fitch ratings said Wednesday the rising income amid sustained economic growth should continue to drive robust real estate activity and loan growth in the Philippines in the medium term.

“The Philippines’ first nation-wide residential realestate price index provides valuable information on the state of the property market and is consistent with the overall strengthening of market and regulatory tools and frameworks,” Fitch said in a statement.

The broad-based residential price index, which was released by Bangko Sentral on Monday, will enhance the information available for policymaking, improve market transparency and should be positive for banks’ risk monitoring, it said.

Data showed brisk but not excessive property price growth, suggesting that robust real-estate activity over the last few years had not led to significant overheating in the property market.

Fitch said property prices were an important macroprudential risk indicator and excessive price inflation could be a sign of speculative over-heating, leading to elevated risks to bank asset quality and profitability.

“For now, this does not appear to be the case in the Philippines and asset quality remains benign amid what appears to be sustainable price appreciation. Residential and commercial real estate NPL ratios were 3.1 percent and 1.6 percent respectively at end-2015,” Fitch said.

Gabrielle H. Binaday

NREB endorses new solar, wind projects

By Alena Mae S. Flores The National Renewable Energy Board said Wednesday it endorsed the installation of more solar and wind projects to accommodate the rising private sector interest in renewable energy.

NREB chairman Pete Maniego said the board submitted to the Energy Department an additional 500-megawatt installation target for wind and another 500 MW for solar power projects.

“Our recommendation are really to DoE (Energy Department) and next installation target for wind and solar although they have not approved it. But it’s roughly 500 MW for wind and 500 MW for solar,” Maniego told reporters at the sidelines of Asia Clean Energy Forum 2016.

Maniego said NREB also proposed a feed-tariff rate of between P7 and P8 per kilowatt-hour for solar and P6 and P7

per kWh for wind under the third wave of installation targets.

Feed-in-tariff is provided by the government as incentives to renewable energy developers under the Renewable Energy Law of 2008.

“As far as the FIT rate, I don’t want to pre-empt ERC [Energy Regulatory Commission), but we have also submitted it, but that will be depend on the installation target to be approved by DoE,” he said.

Maniego said new solar and wind projects should be located in Luzon and Mindanao where the grid could still absorb additional capacity.

“It’s a matter of balancing…They [DoE] should look at the geography.

We have a resolution that the installation target, not only total but also geographical, should be based on demand [and] transmission-constraint areas,” Maniego said.

He said NREB wanted to avoid a repeat of the Negros transmission line constraint issue for solar power projects.

Maniego said the agency also recom-

mended to the department a transition period until 2018 before moving to the auction for the next round of installation targets.

“Our recommendation is to have a transition period…We cannot just implement auction. There has to be a comprehensive study to look at whether it will be applicable to the Philippines [and] what mechanism will be adopted,” he said.

The entire 400-MW capacity for the wind installation target has already been fully taken up.

ERC approved a feed-in tariff rate of P8.53 per kWh for the first wave of wind installation targets of 200 MW and P7.40 per kWh under the second wave covering another 200 MW. The department previously approved a 50-MW installation for solar projects under the first round of installation targets at a feed-in tariff rate of P9.68 per kilowatt-hour. The department, however, has yet to release the final list of those who qualified for the 450-MW second wave of solar installation targets.

New building to rise in Makati PROPERTY developer Megaworld Corp. said it expects to raise P3 billion from the planned 30-story residential condominium building in Makati City.

Megaworld said in a statement the project called The Ellis would rise on L.P. Leviste Street in Salcedo Village, offering a total of 237 units priced at P180,000 per square meter.

“The Ellis stands out to be Megaworld’s residential masterpiece in the heart of Makati CBD highlighted by design and innovation,” Megaworld’s vice president for sales and marketing - Makati Eugene Em Lozano said.

The tower will offer studio units (24 to 34.5 sqm), executive studio loft with balcony (64 sqm), executive one-bedroom with balcony (64 to 69 sqm), two-bedroom with balcony (75 sqm) and executive two-bedroom with balcony (121.5 sqm).

Special units called ‘Link Units’ are also available, which are a combination of either studio and one-bedroom (63.5 sqm) or studio and two-bedroom (103 sqm). Jenniffer B. Austria

LandBank remits P6.6b LAND BANK of the Philippines emerged as the highest cash dividend remitter to the national government for the fourth straight year, as it handed P6.6 billion in cash dividends from its earnings in 2015.

LandBank reported a net income of P13.3 billion in 2015, up by 10 percent from P12.1 billion in 2014.

“LandBank is pleased to have once again contributed the highest cash dividend from our robust earnings in 2015, as we continue to do our part to support the government’s revenue generation initiatives for the expansion of development projects and social services to Filipinos,” said LandBank president and chief executive Gilda Pico.

LandBank has consistently remitted one of the highest dividends for the past six years, with a total of P33.5 billion in cash dividends turned over to the national government since 2010.

Montero to hold test drive MITSUBISHI Motors Philippines Corp. said it will hold a series of test drive events featuring the all new Montero Sport.

Dubbed as the Mitsubishi Montero Sport Head to Head Test Drive Challenge, the test drive event will provide opportunity for customers to test drive the all new Montero Sport and the competition.

Customers who are in the lookout for an SUV will now be able to personally experience and compare the class leading features of the Montero Sport versus competitive models and experience for themselves why the all new Montero Sport got all praises from the media test.

In its April issue, the all new Montero Sport was the runaway choice of top automotive magazine, Top Gear Philippines, in its big test of all midsize SUVs. Top Gear Philippines gave the new Montero Sport top points in overall styling, performance, riding comfort, technology and safety features.

The all new Montero Sport is powered by a new 2.4 liter common rail direct injection clean diesel with the only one in its class with variable valve timing electronic control system. It is also the first in its class to have an 8-speed automatic transmission with sports mode which is designed for quick sprints, relaxed highway cruising and excellent fuel efficiency.

Smart’s 17 Quill awards. Mobile leader Smart Communications takes home 17 trophies at the Philippine Quill Awards,

including first runner-up honors for Company of the Year. Organized by the International Association of Business Communicators-Philippines, the Philippine Quill Awards recognizes excellence in professional communication. Shown are the Smart contingent led by chief finance officer Chaye Cabal-Revilla and public affairs head Mon Isberto (seated at center).

Piñol seeking P30b to help El Niño victims

By Anna Leah E. Gonzales INCOMING Agriculture secretary Emmanuel Piñol said Wednesday he will ask for P30 billion from the government to help farmers and fishers displaced by El Niño dry spell.

Piñol said in a news briefing the agriculture and fishery sector bore the brunt of the drought this year.

“Our agriculture sector is down due to the effects of El Niño. The growth of the sector during the first quarter of this year is very bad,” he said.

“I talked to [incoming Finance] secretary Carlos Dominguez and told him that if we don’t pour new funds in the form of calamity assistance to the agriculture sector and the fisheries sector, we will really find it hard to recover,” he said.

President-elect Rodrigo Duterte named Piñol as his agriculture secretary, in place of Proceso Alcala.

Farm and fishery production

slumped 4.53 percent year-on-year in the first quarter, on lower rice, corn and fishery production amid the dry spell.

“We have to take into consideration the fact that we are signatories of international commitment and subsidies are not allowed, so we will look at this as calamity assistance to the farming and fisheries sector,” Piñol said.

“Offhand, I’m proposing a P30billion additional funding for the rehabilitation of agriculture and fisheries sector so they would recover right away and this would come into a form of assistance,” he said.

Piñol said the urgent budget would be used for immediate intervention such as fertilizer assistance, farm inputs and livelihood projects.

He said under the Duterte administration, rice sufficiency would also be pursued.

“It is imperative that we should have rice sufficiency, but I will not tell you

when this will be achieved. What I will tell you is we’re going to exert all efforts and focus our resources to make sure that we will attain rice sufficiency,” Piñol said.

Piñol said the Duterte administration would aim to expand rice production area by one million hectares, which would translate into an additional rice harvest of 4.8 million metric tons.

“There will be no radical change and we will work on the initial target of Secretary Proceso Alcala because he was able to improve rice production,” Piñol said.

He said the new administration would also give more attention to irrigation. “There will be a major shift in the irrigation. There are wide areas which only produce once a year because the main problem is irrigation.

We need to focus on small irrigation projects and small water irrigating pumps,” Piñol said.

T H U R S D AY : J U N E 9, 2 0 1 6

BUSINESS business@thestandard.com.ph extrastory2000@gmail.com

B5

PLDT allocates $100m to build modern cell sites

By Darwin G. Amojelar PHILIPPINE Long Distance Telephone Co. said Wednesday it will spend an additional $100 million this year to roll out new cell sites using the 700-megahertz spectrum in key cities nationwide.

Top developer. For three years in a row, Megaworld Corp. was named one of the Top Developers

in the Philippines during the BCI Awards 2016 held in Makati City. BCI Asia honors the most commercially significant developers in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam and provides an international overview of developers with most significant contribution towards sustainable architecture. Shown receiving the award from BCI Asia chief operating officer Robert Krups (right) is Megaworld senior vice president Jericho Go.

7 UK firms want to tap ocean energy

By Alena Mae S. Flores SEVEN British companies have expressed interest to invest in the Philippine ocean energy sector, according to the Energy Department.

Sgurr Energy, Albatern, OpenHydro, Carbon Trust, Bell Pirie (UK) Power Corp., IT Power India and Oceantera are just waiting for the signal from the Energy Regulatory Commission on the feed-in tariff rate for ocean energy, an official said.

Sgurr Energy and IT Power are renewable energy consultancy firms while Albatern is involved in wave energy harvesting. OpenHydro specializes in marine turbines from tidal while Carbon Trust is a low carbon expert.

Oceantera specializes in marine renewable energy projects.

The companies met with UK Trade and Investment Manila to explore business opportunities for large-scale energy projects in the Philippines.

The United Kingdom is home to the world’s first tidal and wave testing center—European Marine Energy Centre which was established in Orkney, Scotland in 2003.

Energy assistant secretary Mario Marasigan told reporters at the sidelines of a roundtable discussion on ocean energy that while the Philippines had a huge ocean energy potential, there was a need to “demonstrate” the technology could be commercially viable.

Marasigan identified challenges faced by the sector such an enhancing data on ocean energy, better understanding of the country’s ocean energy potential, better capability of the government to guide the private sectors and come up with an enhanced policy mechanism for ocean energy.

The British investors, who made separate presentations, asked the government to come out with the feed-in tariff for ocean energy to spur more private sector interest.

Energy Regulatory Commission director for market operations service Debora Layugan said the National Renewable Energy Board had already filed an urgent motion for resolution on the pending P17.65-per-kilowatthour feed-in tariff rate for ocean energy.

Layugan said ERC deferred acting on NREB’s P17.65-per-kWh application for 10 megawatts of ocean thermal energy conversion technology installation in 2012 energy due to lack of data.

She said that based on discussions with some developers, “there were questions on whether there was a possibility for a third party subsidy, such that impact of such rate, would not be felt by end users.”

“The commission has committed to resolve this. We will come out with something in next few months…within the year….Ocean technology is baseload in nature… Then its integration to the grid will not impact as much,” Layugan said.

The amount is on top of PLDT’s approved capital expenditure of P43 billion for 2016 and made available to Smart Communications as a result of the recent acquisition of San Miguel Corp.’s telecom business.

Smart fired up its first batch of three long-term evolution or LTE cell sites using the 700-MHz spectrum and posted peak download speeds of up to 222 megabits per second in one of those sites using LTE-advanced with carrier aggregation.

“That’s only three base stations which are 700-MHz enabled so far. We will build more than 200 in key sites nationwide by yearend,” PLDT chairman and chief executive Manuel Pangilinan said.

The three Smart cell sites with 700 MHz are located in Tanay, Rizal; Matina, Davao City; and Manggahan area in Pasig City, where peak download speeds of 101 Mbps were attained on a single-band, 700-MHz LTE set-up.

Smart combined its 700 MHz and 1800 MHz frequency bands using the carrier aggregation capability of LTE-A, resulting in peak speeds of up to 222 mbps at its Tanay cell site.

Smart said it planned to activate 360 cell sites with 700 MHz this year, initially in Metro Manila, Metro Cebu and Metro Davao as a part of a three-year program to bring faster, affordable and reliable internet to users.

Meanwhile, Globe Telecom Inc. senior vice president for program governance, network technical group Joel Agustin said the company planned to roll out 200 sites using 700 Mhz frequency during the initial stage.

“The intention is that the first batch of the 200 sites we plan to roll out will be in areas where connectivity matters most to our customers as well as in locations with high convergence of users like here in the National Capital Region,” Agustin said.

Republic of the Philippines ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION San Miguel Avenue, Pasig City IN THE MATTER OF THE APPLICATION FOR APPROVAL OF THE POWER PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT (PPSA), AS AMENDED, BETWEEN NUEVA ECIJA I ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. AND GNPOWER LTD. CO., WITH PRAYER FOR CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT OF INFORMATION AND THE ISSUANCE OF PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY

ERC CASE NO. 2016-037 RC

NUEVA ECIJA I ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. (NEECO IAND GNPOWER LTD. CO. (GNPOWER),

Applicants. x---------------------------------------------x NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING TO ALL INTERESTED PARTIES: Notice is hereby given that on 04 April 2016, the Nueva Ecija I Electric Cooperative, Inc. (NEECO I) and GNP ower Ltd. Co. (GNPOWER) filed an Application for approval of the power purchase and sale agreement (PPSA), as amended, with prayer for confidential treatment of information and the issuance of provisional authority.

In the said Application, NEECO I and GNPOWER alleged the following: 1. Applicant NEECO I is a, non-stock, non-profit electric cooperative organized under Philippine laws, with principal office address at Malapit, San Isidro, Nueva Ecija. It is authorized to distribute and provide electricity services to its member consumers in the City of Gapan, Municipalities of Jaen, San Antonio, Cabiao and San Isidro, all in the Province of Nueva Ecija (hereinafter referred as the “Franchise Area”). A copy of NEECO 1’s Certificate of Franchise is herewith attached to form an integral part hereof as Annex “A”. A copy of its Articles of Incorporation and By-laws are also attached as Annexes “A-1” and “A-2” to form integral parts hereof; 2. Applicant GNPOWER is a duly registered limited partnership organized and existing by virtue of the laws of the Republic of the Philippines. It is engaged in the business of developing, constructing, operating, ‘ and owning power generation facilities. Its principal office is at 28th Floor, Orient Square Building, Don FranciscO Ortigas Jr. Road, Ortigas ‘ Center, Pasig City. Copies of its Certification of Registration issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Amended Articles of Partnership are herewith attached to form integral parts hereof as Annexes “B” and “B-1”, respecti vel y; 3. Applicants may be served with orders, notices, and other legal processes of this Honorable Commission through the address of the undersigned counsels; 4. By and pursuant to Sections 25, 43 (u) and 45 (b) of Republic Act No. 9136, otherwise known as the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of2001 (EPIRA) and its Implementing Rules and Regulations, this Application is respectfully submitted to the Honorable Commission for its due consideration and approval of the Power Purchase and Sale Agreement (PPSA), as amended, executed by and between Applicants NEECO I and GNPOWER; I. STATEMENT OF FACTS 5. NEECO I, along with eleven other electric cooperatives1 in the Central Luzon region, created Central Luzon Electric Cooperative Association -First Luzon Aggregation Group, Inc. (CLECAFLAG), a corporation duly registered with the SEC, as evidenced by herewith attached copy of its Certificate of Registration, which is made an integral part hereof as Annex “C”; 6. CLECAFLAG, owned and controlled by twelve member Electric Cooperatives (“ECs”), was formed’to coordinate and manage the administration of power supply process including joint planning and selection process, contracting of power of the member-ECs to ensure sustainable power supply and reduced electricity rates in the region; 7. Accordingly, in 2013, ‘CLECAFLAG conducted a ‘ competitive selection process to bid out the forward power’ needs of its memberECs, particularly, for the supply of 300 MW of aggregated base load power from new generating capacity/ies for twenty (20) years starting late 2018, subject to the Honorable Commission’s approval process and the signing by all the member-ECs of the PPSA, as per the award notice and a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), to meet the growing demand of the member-ECs; 8. In the selection of a new power provider, CLECAFLAG employed extensive evaluation parameters and procedures, and with all twelve member-ECs further represented through their own Technical Working Groups. The selection process was conducted in two stages, including a Swiss Challenge, as follows: a. The first stage is the selection of a Generation Company (“GenCo”) that will submit a Firm Proposal (the “Firm Proponent”) for the aggregated base load to be contracted by the memberECs. The GenCo shall be selected based on the committed price cap, among other key contract terms. CLECAFLAG’s proposed price cap was PhP4.09/kWh or PhP4.5808/kWh, inclusive of VAT. Nonetheless, the evaluation of the price cap shall be based on expected levelized price for the duration of the contract; b. The second stage is the announcement of the Firm Proposal, or that offer of the GenCo which submitted the lowest proposed committed price cap. The Firm Proposal shall then be subjected to “Swiss Challenge” by other GenCos who were declared ‘ qualified during the first stage. The Original Firm Proponent has the right to match the proposal of the Challenger; 9. On the first stage of the selection process, three GenCos participated by submitting their respective bids, namely: GNPOWER, AES Philippines (AES) , and San Miguel Energy Corporation (SMEC); 10. Based on the ranking determined through CLECAFLAG’s evaluation using a specified set of bid parameters and references in the transaction documents, GNPOWER was declared as the Firm Proponent, while AES, submitting a bid that was PhPo.23/kWh greater than that of GNPOWER, was the Challenger who had an opportunity to counter GNPOWER’s proposal through Swiss Challenge. Meanwhile, SMEC was disqualified for submitting a price offer that is higher than CLECAFLAG’s proposed price cap of PhP4·09/kWh; 11. On 8 November 2013, CLECAFLAG and GNPOWER entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), .which is made an integral part hereof as , Annex “D”, with the · individual member-ECs as witnesses, to define each of CLECAFLAG and GNPOWER’s (as the Firm Proponent) rights and obligations under transaction, such as the following, among others: a. CLECAFLAG shall allow only AES to participate in the Swiss Challenge of GNPOWER’s Firm Proposal (Section 4.6); b. CLECAFLAG shall immediately award the PPSA with finality to GNPOWER in any of the following circumstances xxx (a) AES’ failure to submit Letter of Intent to Challenge (Section 4· 7); c. After awarding the PPSA with finality to GNPOWER, CLECAFLAG shall enter into a PPSA with GNPOWER and/or cause its member-ECs to enter into a PPSA.

14. During the negotiations conducted between GNPOWER and each of the twelve (12) member-ECs for the finalization of a PPSA and the final review of the latter’s projected base load electricity demand, it had come to their attention that the twelve (12) member-ECs would not be able to procure 300 MW of aggregated base load power in the first Contract Year, as committed in the transaction;

amended, as adjusted from time to time due to changes in the delivered price of coal. The Energy Fee shall be computed m accordance with the following formula:

15. As a result, GNPOWER and the member-ECs negotiated to have an interim supply period, which is estimated to commence on December 2018 subject to the ERC’s approval process;

Where: IEF

16. On 10 June 2014, GNPOWER executed with each of NEECO I and nine (9) other member-ECs. The PPSA between GNPOWER and NEECO I is herewith attached and made an integral part hereof as Annex “G” 2; 17. GNPOWER agreed to extend the negotiations with CLECAFLAG and its two member-ECs that have not yet signed their respective PPSAs to allow CLECAFLAG to significantly fulfill its obligation under the MOA; , 18. Further, GNPOWER offered to assist CLECAFLAG and its member-ECs in fulfilling their obligation to cause the signing of an aggregated 300 MW PPSA as a requirement for GNPOWER’s project milestones, and on 18 September 2015, GNPOWER, in its appreciation to NEECO I and other member-ECs for being early supporters of the GNPOWER project, executed an amendment to the PPSA reducing the rate· indicated in the PPSA in favor of NEECO 1. On January 28, 2016, another amendment was executed for the revision of the contracted capacity of NEECO 1. The amendments are attached hereto as Annexes “H” and “H-1”, respectively, and made an integral part hereof; II. ABSTRACT OF THE PPSA, AS AMENDED, AND OTHER RELATED INFORMATION 19. The following are the salient features of the subject PPSA, as amended: A. Term of Agreement. The PPSA, as amended, shall be effective at the date of its execution, and shall terminate after 240 months from the date specified in the Commencement Date Notice3 defined as the written notice that indicates the commencement of the first delivery of electric capacity at full commercial operation of the first unit of GNPOWER’s facility4.

B. Source of Supply. GNPOWER shall make available, sell, and deliver or cause to be delivered to NEECO I the Products5 at the Delivery Point, whether sourced from GNPOWER’s facility or from other electricity generators, including the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM).

GNPOWER’s facility shall be constructed and operated in Mariveles, Bataan. The Technical Details of the Project is herewith attached to form an integral part hereof as Annex “I”; C. Contracted Capacity. NEECO I is contractually . entitled to receive from GNPOWER, at any hour, subject to GNPOWER’s Available Capacity (as defined in the PPSA, as amended) for such hour, the Contracted Capacity (as defined in the PPSA, as amended), as follows: Contracted Contracted Year Year Capacity Capacity (kW) (kW) 9 32,000 1 26,000 10 33,000 2 26,500 11 34,000 3 27,000 12 35,000 4 27,500 13 36,000 5 28,000 14 37,000 6 29,000 15 38,000 7 30,000 16 39,000 8 31,000 17 40,000 18 41,000 19 42,000 20 43,000 c.1. Option to Increase Contracted Capacity. Section 2.7 of the PPSA, as amended, provides that upon written notice to GNPOWER, NEECO I may, upon approval by GNPOWER, increase its Contracted Capacity which increase shall be subjected to the same terms and conditions contained in the PPSA, as amended. In considering whether or not to approve the request for increase in Contracted Capacity, GNPOWER may take .into consideration the capacity available for such increase from . its facility in its sole opinion, and/or the willingness of any other buyer to assign its Contracted ‘ Capacity. Such increase in Contracted Capacity shall be’ effective on the date GNPOWER gives its written approval.

D. Contract · Price. The Contract Price shall be composed of Capacity Price and Energy Price. d.1 The Capacity Fee is the component of the Contract Price allocated to pay for the cost, as well as the operations and maintenance of the power plant and is designated as the Capacity Fee in Schedule 1 of the PPSA, as amended; as such may be adjusted from ‘ time to time based on GNPOWER’s Capacity Factor.

The corresponding Capacity Fee for a given Capacity Utilization Factor is set forth in the table below: Capacity Utilization Factor (%) 100% 99% 98% 97% 96% 95% 94% 93% 92% 91% 90% 89% 88% 87% 86% 85% 84% 83% 82% 81% 80% 79% 78% 77% 76% 75% 74% 73% 72% 71% 70% 69% 68% 67% 66% 65%

In case the Capacity Utilization Factor is not a whole number, the Capacity Fee shall be computed using the formula below.

Capacity Fee = -0.10773 X (CUF)3 + 0.33975 X (CUF)2 -0.3932 x (CUF) + 0.2078 Where: Capacity Fee = is the Capacity Fee in $/kWh CUF

=

AES, however, failed to submit a counter proposal to match GNPOWER’s Firm Proposal.

12. On 10 March 2014, CLECAFLAG declared GNPOWER as the winning proponent, evidenced by herewith attached copy of CLECAFLAG’s letter of the same date, which is made an integral part hereof as Annex “E”. GNPOWER shall, then, execute individual power supply agreements with the tW,elve member-ECs·, 13. Copies of relevant documents used in the competitive selection process conducted by CLECAFLAG to bid out the forward power needs of its member-ECs, particularly, for the supply of 300 MW of aggregated base’load power, are attached as follows: ANNEX “F” “F-1” “F-2” “F-3” “F-4”

DOCUMENT Invitation to participate in the power supply aggregation and contracting of CLECAFLAG Notice of Eligibility to participate in the bidding sent to GNPOWER Transaction Information Memorandum Supplemental Transaction Information Memorandum detailing the Evaluation Framework (i.e., terms of reference) Evaluation Result

Capacity Fee ($/kWh) 0.0466 0.0470 0.0474 0.0477 0.0481 0.0485 0.0489 0.0493 0.0497 0.0502 0.0506 0.0510 0.0515 0.0519 0.0524 0.0529 0.0534 0.0539 0.0544 0.0549 0.0555 0.0561 0.0567 0.0573 0.0579 0.0585 0.0592 0.0599 0.0606 0.0613 0.0621 0.0629 0.0637 0.0645 0.0653 0.0662

is the Capacity Utilization Factor between 65% and 100%, provided that if the actual CUF is below 65% (the “Minimum Capacity Utilization Factor”), the Capacity Price shall be calculated based on the Capacity Fee and quantity associated with the Minimum Capacity Utilization Factor.

The Capacity Utilization Factor (CUF) shall be computed as follows: Capacity Utilization= Q Factor (CUF) CCx(HT-EHTO) Where: Q

=

Quantity of kWh

CC

=

Contracted Capacity, in kW, as set forth in Schedule 1

HT

=

Total number of hours in such Billing Period

EHTO

=

The sum of the duration, in Equivalent Hours, of Scheduled Outages and Unscheduled Outages in such Billing Period

d.2 The Energy Fee is the component of the Contract Price allocated to pay for the coal, including Government Charges, designated as the Energy Fee in Schedule 1 of the PPSA, as

=

Initial Energy Fee equal to $O.0370/kWh

CIFn

=

CIF Cost of Fuel for Billing Period n

CIFo

=

Base CIF Cost of Fuel equal to $11.5573/ million kCal , E. Prompt Payment Discount. Section 4.3 (c) of the PPSA, as amended, provides that if NEECO I pays the invoice in full within ten (10) days of receipt from GNPOWER, NEECO I shall receive a credit on the next subsequent bill equal to $0.0012/kWh multiplied by the actual quantity of the Product actually delivered set forth in such invoice for the Billing Period for which the credit was earned. .

F. Capacity Utilization Discount. Section 4.3 (d) · of the PPSA, as amended, provides that if NEECO I pays the invoice amount in full in accordance with GNPOWER’s invoice instruction on or before the twenty-fifth (25th) day of the succeeding calendar month from the relevant Billing Period and NEECO 1’s CUF is greater than or equal to · 65%, aside from the Prompt Payment Discount, NEECO I shall receive a credit on the next subsequent bill equal to 2.8% of the Energy Fee multiplied by the actual quantity of the Product actually delivered set forth in such invoice for the Billing Period for which the credit was earned.

G. Scheduled and Unscheduled Outage.

Pursuant to Section 2.2, GNPOWER is allowed Scheduled Outage not to exceed five hundred forty (540) Equivalent Hours for each Contract Year, during which times reduced or no deliveries will be available to NEECO 1. Likewise, GNPOWER is allowed Unscheduled Outage of five hundred forty (540) Equivalent Hours for each Contract Year during which times reduced or no deliveries will be available to the Buyer; III. COMMERCIAL ADVANTAGES OF THE PROPOSED CONTRACT PRICE AND IMPACT ON NEECO I’S OVERALL RATES 20. The PPSA, as amended, was executed between NEECO I and GNPOWER to respond to the growing power demand of . NEECO 1’s member consumers, which its current providers may not be able to meet and supply; 21. Currently, NEECO I receives 100% of its total demand requirement of 30MW from its existing supplier. With an annual average growth of 5.5%, NEECO 1’s peak demand is forecasted to increase to 37.2 MW by 2020. Copies of NEECO 1’s Supply-Demand Scenario from 2010 to 2024, Historical and Forecasted Data, and Average Daily Load Curve are herewith attached to form integral part hereof as Annexes “J” to “J-2”; 22. The additional supply from GNPOWER assures the memberconsumers of NEECO I of adequate and reliable power service, thus, less likelihood of power outages and brownouts; 23. NEECO I conducted a rate impact analysis which resulted in a lower effective rate of PhP3.6704/kWh with supply coming from GNPOWER, compared to a rate of PhP4.3637 kWh without GNPOWER, or a reduction of PhP0.6933/kWh if with GNPOWER supply, as follows: WITHOUT VAT Simulation of Generation Mix Rate with GNPOWER for the Year 2020

Simulation ofGeneration Mix Rate without GNPOWER for the Year 2020

RATE REDUCTION 0.6933 Notes: Average Rate of GN from January to December 2015 (VAT exclusive, net of discounts); Average Resulting CUF at 82% APRI is a non-VAT since it is a renewable energy.

Prompt Payment Discount of APRI is 0.1652/kWh. 24. Aside from the lower generation cost of the power supply from GNPOWER, NEECO I is also entitled to Prompt Payment Discount and Capacity Utilization Discount, if conditions are met, which makes even more competitive the proposed rate contained in the subject PPSA, as amended; 25. In support of the instant Application for the approval of the PPSA, as amended, Applicants further attach the following documents to form integral parts hereof, to wit:,

26. Applicants NEECO I andGNPOWER reserve the right to submit other documents, either in the course of the hearing or as may be required by this Honorable Commission.

IV. COMPLIANCE WITH PRE-FILING REQUIREMENTS 27. Applicants manifest compliance with the pre-filing requirements mandated under the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the EPIRA and Rule 6 of the ERC Rules of Practice and Procedure, to be established by the following: a. Certifications acknowledging receipt of the Application with annexes issued by the Legislative Bodies of the Province of Nueva Ecija, the Municipality of San Isidro, and the City of Pasig, to be appended as Annexes “X”, “Y” , and “Z”, respectively; b. Affidavit of Publication stating that the Application was published in a newspaper of general circulation within Applicants’ Franchise Area and/or area of its principal operation, to be appended herein as Annex “AA”; and c. Complete newspaper issue where the Application was published, to be appended herein as Annex “AA-1”, and the relevant page thereof where the Application appeared, as Annex “AA-2”; V. MOTION FOR CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT OF ANNEXES “F-4”-, “L”,”M”, “N”, and “O” 28. Under Rule 4 of the ERC Rules of Practice and Procedure, a party to any proceeding before the Honorable Commission may request that certain information not be disclosed and be treated as confidential, by describing with particularity the information to be .treated as confidential, specifying the ground for the claim of confidential treatment of the information and, if applicable, specifying the period during which the information must not be disclosed; 29. In connection to the foregoing, NEECO I humbly requests for the confidential treatment of Annex “F-4” hereof, consisting of the Evaluation Result. This annex shows the individual offers of the bidders which participated in the competitive selection process (CSP).

T H U R S D AY : J U N E 9, 2 0 1 6

The members of CLECAFLAG, NEECO I included, are bound by their undertaking to secure and keep in confidence the offers and the proposed terms of supply, so as not to prejudice or preempt any future CSPs in which these bidders will participate. Otherwise, NEECO I and the rest of the members of CLECAFLAG may be held liable f6r damages for breach of confidentiality, and eventually, risk their good relations with the suppliers concerned; 30. Similarly, Applicant GNPOWER most respectfully moves for the confidential treatment of Annexes “L”6, “M”7, “N”8, and “O”9 hereof. These annexes, exclusively owned by Applicant GNPOWER, contain documents which are considered part of its business and trade secrets. As such, GNPOWER has the sole proprietary interest and will be unduly prejudiced should they be disclosed to the public; 31. These annexes contain numbers, data, formula, methodology, and calculations . involving valuable and sensitive commercial, financial and technological information reflecting GNPOWER’s business operations and financial trade secrets. Therefore, the disclosure of GNPOWER’s . confidential, proprietary, and private information included in the aforesaid annexes should be protected from public dissemination. Otherwise, such information can be illegally and unfairly utilized by business competitors who may use the same for their own private gain and to the irreparable prejudice of GNPOWER. Negotiations with prospective customers may also be affected; 32. The information contained in Annexes “L”, “M”, “N”, and “O”, constitute “trade secrets”, for which GNPOWER has actual and valuable proprietary interest. As explained by the Supreme Court, a trade secret may consist of any formula, pattern, device, or compilation of information that is used in one’s business and gives the employer an opportunity to obtain an advantage over competitors who do not possess the information10. It is indubitable that trade secrets11 constitute proprietary rights and jurisprudence has consistently acknowledged the private character of trade secrets”. Further, as ruled in Garcia vs. Board of Investments12, trade secrets and confidential, commercial, and financial information are exempt from public scrutiny; 33. It is respectfully submitted that the aforementioned Annexes must be accorded confidential treatment. As such, they are to be used exclusively by the Honorable Commission and for the sole purpose of evaluating this Application, thereby protecting these data from unnecessary public disclosure; 34. In accordance with Section l(b), Rule 4 ofthe ERC Rules of Practice and Procedure, Applicants hereby submit one (1) copy each of Annexes “F-4, “1..”,.”M”, “N”, and “0” in a sealed envelope, with the envelope and each page of the documents stamped with the word “Confidential”.

VI. ISSUANCE OF PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY 35. All the foregoing allegations are herein re-pleaded by reference in support of the instant Prayer for provisional authority; 36. The basis by which Applicants NEECO I ~and GNPOWER pray for the issuance of a Provisional Authority or interim relief prior to final decision is Rule 14 of the ERC Rules ofPractice and Procedure: “Section 3. Action on the Motion. -Motions for provisional authority or interim reliefmay be acted upon with or without hearing~ The Commission shall act on the motion on the basis of the allegations of the application or petition and supporting documents and other evidences that applicant or petitioner has submitted and the comments or opposition filed by any interested person, ifthere be any.” [Emphasis Ours] 37. Worthy of note is that based on the Department of Energy’s (DOE) 2015-2030 Luzon and Visayas Grids SupplyDemand Outlook, Luzon’s peak demand in 2015 is 8,974MW with an Annual Average Growth Rate (AAGR) of 4.25% while’ Visayas’ Peak Demand is 1,847MW with AAGR of 3-4%. Therefore, Luzon’s peak demand is expected to increase to 10,884MW in 2020, and ·to 16,165MW by the· year 2030 and for Visayas, 2,042MW in 2020 and· 3,025MW in 2030. This electricity demand growth has led to DOE’s call for planning and investments in the power sector; 38. Contributing to the Luzon . Grid’s demand growth is NEECO 1’s base load demand which increases at a rate of 5.5% per year. By December 25, 2019, it is projected that NEECO 1’s power supply contract with its existing supplier will expire and a power supplier to cater the baseload demand of NEECO I, which is expected to have increased to 24% is much needed; 39. Thus, the PPSA, as amended, with GNPOWER is crucial for NEECO I to guarantee that its forward power needs are satisfied, without compromising the reasonableness of the generation rate to be passed on to its member-consumers; 40. While actual delivery of power at full capacity under the terms and conditions of the PPSA, as amended, is expected to commence only in 2020, Applicants, nonetheless, shall begin at the earliest opportune time their compliance with all financial and regulatory requirements and processes leading up to the timely completion of GNPOWER’s facility; .

41. It is worthy to note that part of the funds needed to construct GNPOWER’s facility will be sourced from loans coming from banks/financial institutions. The Honorable Commission’s provisional approval of the instant Application is a vital requirement for the release of the loan proceeds. Hence, a timely financial close ensures stable source offunds and timely construction of the generation facility, and the implementation of the PPSA, as amended, as contemplated by the Applicants;

WORLD

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

EDITOR

B7

Thousands flee IS stronghold in Syria BEIRUT—Thousands of civilians have fled a stronghold of the Islamic State group in northern Syria that was almost surrounded by US-backed fighters seeking to cut a key supply lifeline for the jihadists.

The Arab-Kurdish offensive on the town of Manbij is one of two major assaults on the route IS uses to send in more fighters, weapons and money from the Turkish border to its main Syrian bastion of Raqa.

“We have surrounded Manbij from three sides and operations are progressing well,” Sherfan Darwish, who is leading the offensive of the Syrian Democratic Forces launched just over a week ago, said on Tuesday.

“Every day, we are liberating villages and the only route open to

IS now is towards Aleppo city” to the west, Darwish told AFP by phone.

The SDF is now within five kilometers of Manbij from the north, two kilometersfrom the south and about seven kilometres from the east, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

“Daesh has begun allowing civilians to flee towards the west,” some in cars but many carrying their belongings on foot, the Observatory’s Rami Abdel Rahman said, using an Arabic acronym for IS.

About 20,000 people are still living in Manbij, which had a pre-war population of about 120,000—mostly Arabs but about a quarter of them Syrian Kurds.

IS overran the town in early 2014, just months before declaring a cross-border “caliphate” in Iraq and Syria.

The “Manbij pocket” was the only remaining section of territory used

by IS to smuggle recruits or funds from Turkey across the border.

The US-led coalition battling IS in Iraq and Syria has carried out heavy air strikes to support the fight for Manbij.

Warplanes operating from the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier in the eastern Mediterranean have mounted at least 35 strikes on IS since relocating last

week, its officers told AFP on Tuesday.

And the US military said the coalition had freed a total of 344 square kilometers from IS since the operation to retake Manbij was launched on May 31.

The jihadists’ supply route leads from Jarabulus on the border south through Manbij and winds southeast along the Euphrates through the town of Tabqa and on to Raqa city.

Washington, which has more than 200 special forces troops deployed to back the SDF, has said some 3,000 Arab fighters are taking part in the assault, supported by about 500 Kurds.

The Observatory has said that of the 4,000 fighters it estimates are taking part, most are actually Kurdish. AFP

42. With continuous financing, the timely implementation of the project shall be assured, to the full benefit of NEECO I and the Luzon and Visayas’ Grids. Otherwise, any delay in the implementation of the project shall expose NEECO I to supply risk and unstable market prices in the future; 43. To emphasize the necessity of a provisional approval of herein Application, . a Judicial Affidavit to support the prayer for provisional authority will be attached herewith to form an integral part hereof as Annex “BB”; 44. In view thereof, and in recognition of the fact that a substantial amount of time is customarily needed to evaluate the documents submitted to support the approval of herein Application, Applicants NEECO I and GNP OWER respectfully seek the kind consideration of the Honorable Commission to approve the instant Application, immediately, albeit, provisionally, at the soonest opportune time.

PRAYER WHEREFORE, premises considered, it is most respectfully prayed of the Honorable Commission that (i) all infonnation set forth in Annexes “F-4, “L”, “M”, “N”, and “0” to the instant Application be treated as confidential; (ii) pending hearing on the merits, a Provisional Authority be DULY ISSUED authorizing the immediate implementation of the subject Power Purchase and Sale Agreement (PPSA), as amended, between Applicants NEECO I and GNPOWER, including the rate structure therein, as applied; and (iii) that after due notice and hearing, the instant Application, the PPSA, as amended, and the rate structure contained therein be DULY APPROVED. Further, in the event that a Final Authority shall be issued after GNPOWER starts the actual delivery of power to NEECO I under the terms of the subject PPSA, as amended, said Final Authority shall be retroactively applied to·the date of such actual delivery.

Other reliefs as may be just and equitable under the premises are, likewise, most respectfully prayed for.

The Commission has set the Application for detennination of compliance with the · jurisdictional requirements, Expository Presentation, Pre-trial Conference, and presentation of evidence on 29 June 2016 (Wednesday) at ten o’clock in the morning (10:00 A.M.) at the NEECO I’s Principal Office, Malapit, San Isidro, Nueva Ecija.

All persons who have an interest in the subject ·matter of the proceeding may become a party by filing, at least five (5) days prior to the initial hearing and subject to the requirements in the ERC’s Rules of Practice and Procedure, a verified petition with the Commission giving the docket number and title of the proceeding and stating: (1) the petitioner’s name and address; (2) the nature of petitioner’s interest in the subject matter of the proceeding, and the way and manner in which such interest is affected by the issues involved in the proceeding; and (3) a statement of the relief desired.

All other persons who may want their views known to the Commission with respect to the subject matter of the proceeding may file their opposition to the Application or comment thereon at any stage of the proceeding before the applicant concludes the presentation of its evidence. No particular form of opposition or comment is required, but the document, letter or writing should contain the name and address of such person and a concise statement of the opposition or comment and the grounds relied upon.

All such persons who wish to have a copy of the Application may request from the applicant that they be furnished with the same, prior to the date of the initial hearing. The applicant is hereby directed to furnish all those making such request with copies of the Application and its attachments, subject to the reimbursement of reasonable photocopying costs. Any such person may likewise examine the Application and other pertinent records filed’ with the Commission during standard office hours.

WITNESS, the Honorable Chairman, JOSE VICENTE B. SALAZAR, and the Honorable Comlnissioners, ALFREDO J. NON, GLORIA VICTORIA C. YAP-TARUC, JOSEFINA PATRICIA A. MAGPALE-ASIRIT, and GERONIMO D. STA. ANA, Energy Regulatory Commission, this 26th day of April 2016 at Pasig City.

ATTY. NATHAN J. MARASIGAN Chief of Staff Office of the Chairman and CEO

1

Aurora Electric Cooperative (AURELCO), Nueva Ecija II Area i Electric Cooperative, Inc. (NEECO II-Areal), Nueva Ecija II Area 2 Electric Cooperative, Inc. (NEECO II-Area2), Pampanga Electric Cooperative, Inc. (PELCO I), Pampanga II Electric Cooperative, Inc. (PELCO II), Pampanga III Electric Cooperative, Inc. (PELCO III), Pampanga Rural Electric Service Cooperative, Inc. (PRESCO), Tarlac I Electric Cooperative, Inc. (TARELCO I), Tarlac II Electric Cooperative, Inc. (TARELCO II), Zambales I Electric, Cooperative, Inc. (ZAMECO I), and Zambales II Electric Cooperative, Inc. (ZAMECO II)

2

Each of the PPSA entered into with the other 9 individual MECs are also made an integral part hereto as Annexes G-1. to G-9.

3

Section 1.3, Schedule 1. Contracted Capacity, Contract Price and Terms of Agreement, PPSA, page 31 Section 1.1, Article 1. Definitions and Interpretations, PPSA, page 4 Refers to Electric Capacity, contracted on a variable Capacity Utilization Factor basis, together with energy, as specified in Schedule 1 of the PPSA, as the context requires, or as otherwise agreed by the Parties. (Section 1.1, Article 1.

Definitions and Interpretations, PPSA, page 8) GNPOWER’s Financial Assumptions including Project Cost, Sources of Financing, Debt-Equity Ratio, WACC computation, and Projected Equity IRR Breakdown of Costs including Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) Costs, Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Costs, and Projected Fuel Costs Projected Balance Sheet, Income Statement, Revenue and Cash Flow Details of Fuel Procurement Air Philippines Corporation vs. Pennswell Inc., G.R. No. 172835, December 13, 2007.

Ibid., 177 SCRA 374 (1989).

(TS-JUNE 9 & 17, 2016)

4 5

6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Trump in Barcelona. A woman on a bike looks at a cartoon of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in Barcelona on June 7, 2016. AFP

Raid uncovers corrupt cops BANGKOK—A raid on a large Bangkok brothel notorious for its ‘soapy massages’ has found underage sex workers and logbooks detailing big kickbacks to corrupt cops and officials, investigators said Wednesday.

Thailand’s police force has a reputation for graft, but it is rare for authorities to reveal so clearly how the protection rackets work.

More than 100 officers from Thailand’s Interior Ministry raided Nataree Massage, which is in downtown

Bangkok and popular with locals and foreigners.

During the Tuesday evening raid they found documents detailing alleged payments worth thousands of dollars to police and city officials.

“The account book with the hush money is very clear in detailing which agencies and persons received the money. Most are police and police agencies,” Ronnarong Thipsiri, director of the Territorial Defense Office,

which was involved in the raid, told AFP. “We did not inform police ahead of the raid because we had information that they were benefiting from this operation,” Ronnarong added.

A photograph of one log book page, taken by local reporters who joined the raid, showed more than $10,000 worth of payments made to multiple police officers and law enforcement agencies over a 20-day period in March this year.

Ronnarong, who

said the photo was legitimate, added that one section of the brothel’s account book showed 19 million baht ($539,000) in takings, though he did not say over what period of time the money had been made.

The raid also uncovered multiple underage sex workers under the age of 18 inside the brothel, most of them foreign a stark reminder of how impoverished teenage migrants continue to be lured into Thailand’s sex trade. AFP

T H U R S D AY : J U N E 9, 2 0 1 6

B8 Victorious Clinton claims milestone NEW YORK—Hillary Clinton declared a historic victory for women Tuesday as she grasped the Democratic Party nomination and the chance to become America’s first female president.

“Thanks to you, we’ve reached a milestone,” a beaming Clinton told ecstatic supporters in New York: “the first time in our nation’s history that a woman will be a major party’s nominee.”

The former first lady took a dramatic step toward the White House by winning New Jersey, New Mexico and South Dakota, three of six states voting on the last major date of the 2016 primary calendar.

The biggest prize of all, California, was still up for grabs, but with polls closed there and 40 percent of precincts reporting, Clinton held a substantial lead.

The victories effectively put an end to her battle with challenger Bernie Sanders, the self-declared democratic socialist senator from Vermont who waged an extraordinarily successful grassroots campaign.

But Sanders, ignoring the political writing on the wall, vowed to “continue the fight.”

“Our mission is more than just defeating Donald Trump, it is transforming our country,” he declared to supporters in Santa Monica, California.

Clinton’s triumph came almost eight years to the day since her first Oval Office bid was spectacularly thwarted by a charismatic young senator named Barack Obama.

Two terms later, the 68-year-old declared another glass ceiling broken, setting up a colossal showdown in November with Trump, the bombastic Republican flag bearer.

“We believe that we are stronger together and the stakes in this election are high, and the choice is clear,” she said, before launching into a frontal attack on her Republican rival.

“Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit to be president and commander in chief,” she said, using rhetoric that would have been unthinkable before this tempestuous election season.

Clinton held a commanding lead over Sanders even before Tuesday’s votes, having passed the magic number of 2,383 delegates required to clinch the nomination. AFP

CESAR BARRIOQUINTO EDITOR

editorial@thestandard.com.ph

WORLD The shocking film China doesn’t want you to see LOS ANGELES—Pursued by shadowy security men in plain clothes, New York filmmaker Nanfu Wang mounts the staircase of a decrepit, gloomy apartment block in China, gasping for breath as she reaches the upper floors.

Present. Actress Genesis Rodriguez attends the 2016 Fragrance Foundation Awards presented by Hearst Magazines on June 7, 2016, in New York City. AFP

The director has been under constant surveillance since she returned to the country of her birth to film the human rights campaigner known as Hooligan Sparrow, who has been highlighting sexual violence against children.

“Hurry! Hurry! I’m so scared,” Wang hisses as she ushers Sparrow’s teenage daughter into a safe house to escape the men who have just arrested the girl’s mother.

The gripping scene comes near the end of three months of jaw-dropping footage depicting China’s state security apparatus at work across the country’s vast southeast, which Wang shot and smuggled out in the summer of 2013.

Edited into “Hooligan Sparrow,” a featurelength documentary that comes across more as “found footage” thriller than political reportage, it is expected to shock audiences when it hits US theaters in July.

Followed wherever she went, questioned by secret police, threatened with violence and intimated by organized mobs, Wang captured every detail of her time as an “enemy of the state.”

She was forced to go on the run after security agents visited her family and friends demanding to know her whereabouts.

“I’ve never had illusions about fairness in China’s justice system or the accountability of its government,” the director told AFP. “But I never expected to see ordinary people turn on their neighbors who were fighting for their rights.”

The filmmaker carried a discreet backpack with a small point-and-shoot camera, a pair of glasses with an embedded micro camera and a small audio recorder, taking all of her footage with her everywhere she went.

“I always was afraid that my footage would be seized and destroyed, or that it would be seen by the authorities and used against my subjects,” she said.

Wang—who grew up in a remote farming village in southeastern China and moved to the United States as an adult—decided to return when she heard of Sparrow, a divorcee and single mother whose real name is Ye Haiyan. AFP

Lancome faces growing anger, protest in Hong Kong HONG KONG—Cosmetics giant Lancome closed some of its outlets in Hong Kong Wednesday as protesters gathered at a major mall after the company canceled a concert featuring a local singer critical of China.

Many Hong Kong residents believe the promotional gig by prodemocracy activist Denise Ho was canceled after China’s state-run media criticized the French company for allowing her to perform.

Ho was a leading activist during mass rallies in 2014 calling on Beijing to allow fully free elections.

The row comes as fears grow in the semi-autonomous city that Beijing is tightening its grip.

Dozens of protesters gathered at the central Times Square shopping mall Wednesday afternoon shouting: “Boycott Lancome!” and “Shame on self-censorship!”

Carrying cardboard cut-outs of Ho, they entered the mall and

stuck posters all over the Lancome counter, which had shut for the day ahead of the demonstrations.

In the same building, a Lancome beauty center and the offices of parent company L’Oreal were also closed.

Local media reported the company had issued an internal memo Tuesday asking staff to take the day off.

Organizers warned of more action if the company does not

respond to swelling public anger.

“The key point of this protest is to show the world that we should unite together and, through boycotting [their products], show Lancome and L’Oreal that you cannot just focus on the China market,” said Avery Ng, chairman of the League of Social Democrats, one of a dozen groups planning to join the protest.

Shoppers in the busy mall stopped to watch the demonstra-

tion and take photos.

“I’m worried that commercial organizations in Hong Kong will increasingly come under Chinese influence,” said passerby Natalie Chan, a researcher in her 40s, adding that she had stopped buying L’Oreal products.

Calls to L’Oreal’s Hong Kong office went unanswered and the latest statement from Lancome is dated Sunday, the day of the concert’s cancellation. AFP

T H U R S D AY : J U N E 9, 2 0 1 6

TATUM ANCHETA EDITOR

BING PAREL

A S S O C I AT E E D I T O R

BERNADETTE LUNAS WRITER

life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

w EL L BEING

LIFE

C1

Benham Rise 2016 Expedition discovered vast mesophotic reef ecosystem with coral reefs found at depths of up to 150 meters

S

DIvERSE mARInE lIfE fOunD In 2016 BEnhAm RISE ExpEDITIOn

ince the United Nations’ Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf recognized Benham Rise as the Philippines’s newest territory in 2012, our country’s territory has increased to 43 million hectares from 30 million hectares.

Early oceanographic explorations since 2006 have shown that Benham Rise can be a significant source of food for Filipino fishermen since the area is known as a migration path of different fish including tuna.

Last May 23, the group for the Benham Expedition 2016 sailed on the shallowest portion of the vast seamount, on board the government research vessel MV DA-BFAR. With the help of Oceana Philippines’ remotely operated vehicles and technical diver-videographers, marine scientists from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and University of the Philippines as well as technical divers from the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Coast Guard, the expedition was able to record a dazzling array of soft and hard corals, fish, algae and sponges.

“We saw terraces of corals as far as the eye could see. It’s so exciting to know that we have such a vast and pristine coral reef ecosystem within Philippine territory,” says Marianne Pan-Saniano, marine scientist for Oceana Philippines, the Philippine arm of Oceana, an international organization that conducts science-based campaigns and studies focusing on oceans.

According to Margot Stiles, Oceana’s director of science and strategy, in all the decades of their experience studying the ocean, this is the first time they have seen a reef such as the Benham Rise.

During the exploration, the team documented a vast mesophotic reef ecosystem (a coral ecosystems that shows presence of both light dependent coral and algae, and organisms that can be found in water with low light penetration) with coral reefs found at depths of up to 150 meters. Scientists believe that the deep sea reefs can serve as a potential refuge for shallow reef fishes that could be affected by climate change.

With the use of high tech equipment, the expedition team was able to extensively study the underwater terrain of Benham Bank covering 12 research stations, gathering many hours of video footage that are analyzed daily to compare data with the expedition in 2014 where they were only able to cover five stations and dive for 25 minutes. The group used a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) that took underwater photos and videos for two hours on a daily basis and deployed an equipment called the baited remote underwater video system (BRUVS) that measures fish populations.

“Benham Bank holds tremendous potential for discovering more unique species and outstanding samples of marine resources. Based on the huge success of this expedition, and the inspiring collaboration among the partners, we foresee government and stakeholders working together to protect and sustainably manage this extraordinary natural heritage which is now part of our territory,” says lawyer Gloria Estenzo Ramos, vice president for Oceana Philippines.

Marine scientists were able to record a dazzling array of soft and hard corals, fish, algae, and sponges

The group used a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) that took underwater photos and videos for two hours

The team was able to study the terrain of Benham Bank covering 12 research stations

C2

T H U R S D AY : J U N E 9, 2 0 1 6

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

Not all Vitamin Cs are created equal

W

ith a fickle weather such as what is currently being experienced in the metro –sunny in the morning and drizzling at night – many individuals become more at risk of catching diseases such as common colds, which in turn may result in much more serious ailments.

When the onset of colder weather doesn’t mean we can take a break from our daily demands, it becomes more important to stay protected. Experts suggest getting enough sleep, eating complete meals, staying active and supplementing the aforementioned with vitamin C. Vitamin C is a watersoluble vitamin responsible for strengthening the immune system, healing wounds and maintaining the health of bones and teeth. According to the US National Library of Medicine, “all fruits and vegetable contain some amount of vitamin C,” and some of the highest sources of it are citrus fruits, berries and broccoli, among others.

However, some may need to supplement the naturally-sourced vitamin C they get from food with over-the-counter vitamin C available in the market.

The two faces of Vitamin C

Most adults believe that vitamin C comes only in one form – ascorbic acid. But the said vitamin

Fern-C is a vitamin C supplement that comes in the form of sodium ascorbate

Individuals become more at risk of contracting diseases during rainy season

Citrus fruits are a great source of Vitamin C, a vital nutrient in keeping the body healthy

actually comes in two different forms, namely ascorbic acid and sodium ascorbate.

Although both forms reap similar effects, sodium ascorbate has benefits one cannot get from ascorbic acid.

For one, most ascorbic acid supplements have pH levels of 2.5 to 3, which make it acidic when ingested. As a result, this can cause stomach pain and discomfort when taken before meals. On the other hand, sodium ascorbate has the basic pH level of 7.5 to 7.8 – a safe level that

neutralizes acidity and makes it non-irritant to the stomach.

In addition, sodium ascorbate dissolves faster than its more popular counterpart, thereby allowing the body to receive and absorb the benefits of vitamin C quicker. sodium ascorbate also stays in the body much longer than ascorbic acid before the system flushes out the leftover amounts.

The leading brand of sodium ascorbate

Many vitamin C supplement brands recognize the benefits of

Ms. Soap Bubble together with Drogas Latvia volunteers during a CSR activity by Watsons in Latvia

sodium ascorbate and are using it in their products – and one of them is Fern-C. Considered the number one sodium ascorbate vitamin C supplement brand in the country, Fern-C claims to be a potent antioxidant, as it gives users more protection against flu, cough, bronchitis, viral and bacterial infections.

Aside from strengthening the body’s defense, it also promotes holistic healthcare by improving the condition of gums, teeth, bones and skin.

But the benefits don’t just stop there, since Fern-C also offers protection for the whole family with Fern-C kidz, the sodium ascorbate vitamin C for children.

The newly-launched vitamin C for kids comes in a delicious orange flavor, and is formulated with zinc for added immunity.

FERN-C kidz is now available in leading drugstores and supermarkets nationwide at P62 per 60 mL bottle and P119 per 120 mL bottle.

In line with its 175th Anniversary celebration, the A.S. Watson Group launched the Elderly Visit 2016, a large-scale charity event in Hong Kong

WATSONS celebrates 175 years of happy, healthy families Watsons has become a very familiar name to many Filipinos who know that they can get quality but affordable products ranging from generic medicines to health, beauty and personal care items, even down to hair accessories.

Unknown to many, the Hong Kong based A.S. Watson Group has been conducting social responsibility programs as early as the 1800s, providing free medicine to needy people in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong. In fact, Watsons started one of the first medical scholarships in Hong Kong, with no less than the revered Dr. Sun Yat Sen as one of the beneficiaries when he went to the then-Crown Colony to study medicine.

Named after Dr. Alexander Skirving Watson (who joined the

company as manager in 1858), the company had its beginnings in 1841 when Hong Kong was just a fishing village. Over time, the company began to gain prominence, growing from a small local dispensary to one of the largest international health and beauty retailers in Asia and Europe. Today, it operates over 4,000 stores and more than 1,000 pharmacies in 12 Asian and European markets.

Now on its 175th year, Watson continues the tradition it started all those years ago with various CSR activities across the globe, focusing on health, education, and care for the community.

Among these CSR projects is the LOL Philanthropy Programme whose mission is to spread “Lots

of Love, Lots of Laughs” to the people of Hong Kong, sharing more warmth and laughter by lifting up the lives and spirit of everyone in the community.

In the Philippines, Watsons also launched the “AnniverSAYA, 175 Healthy, Happy Families” medical mission recently at SM City Sta. Mesa as part of the worldwide celebration of Watsons for its 175th anniversary. During the activity, 175 families received free medical and dental consultations and services that included tooth extraction, OB consultation and screenings for blood glucose, anemia, UTI, bone, cholesterol plus blood pressure checkup.

“With a history dating back to 1841, the A.S. Watson Group (has become) one of the longest

The Watsons HK Dispensary in 1941

standing and most established companies in Hong Kong,” says the A.S. Watson Group, expressing pride at having witnessed the growth of the city from a fishing village to a global hub of international trade.

“We are proud to have taken a Hong Kong-based company to

Watsons store opened since 1987

a leading position in the world retail landscape,” the Watson management adds. “Looking ahead, we strive to continue our expansion in Hong Kong and overseas, as well as to deliver our promise of providing quality products and shopping experiences to customers.”

T H U R S D AY : J U N E 9, 2 0 1 6

C3

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

DO YOU HAVE THE FOOD SmARTS?

T

Find out in Healthy Options Lifestyle News Digest:

he market is saturated with so many food options that upon closer look prove to have very little nutrition.

On the other hand, there are choices that the body will be grateful for – and these can be found in the latest issue of the Healthy Options Lifestyle News Digest that focuses on “food smarts.”

According to editor-in-chief Romy Sia, knowing the food source or origin, and how it is processed (from farm to table) are important. For instance, being able to tell the difference between regular factory-farmed eggs from those laid by healthy free-range chickens and knowing the health benefits provided by organic produce and pastured animal products can make a big difference in improving your and your family’s health.

In fact, one can already become food smart even at an early age. In the latest HO Lifestyle News Digest’s article, “Teaching Kids Where Food Comes From,” pointers are given on how older kids at home can learn healthy food sources and ingredients.

In “What to Feed Your Growing Child,” the feature emphasizes on the importance of giving newborns and toddlers sufficient levels of nutrition that will set them up for a lifetime of health rewards and ensure proper development of their bodies.

All-natural stress busters and fatigue fighters also take center stage in the issue.

Readers can learn about adaptogens – botanicals that help bolster the body’s ability to adapt to various stressors – and this “elite” family of herbs that demonstrate significant adaptogenic activity such as ashwagandha, moringa and ginseng.

Since it is already the digital age, it won’t hurt to know about good social networks or relations that provide support as this can help one cope with some of the effects of stress. “Social Networks – Key to

Happiness and Wellness” presents research that underscore the value of social ties in improving health from the teenage years to one’s prime, and even beyond.

While physical health is necessary, emphasis should also be made on one’s social, mental and emotional health. In the article titled “Helping Your Child Deal With Death,” parents are equipped with some tips that would help them explaining death according to a child’s terms.

Other interesting articles include “Sea Salt and Table Salt - Know the Difference,” a health situationer focusing on the Zika virus, plus some skin care tips for women of varying ages.

So enjoy reading, and feel revitalized with healthy eating. Most of all, teach the kids about the many benefits of being food smart by making good food choices through Healthy Options, the leading allnatural products store in the Philippines.

Healthy Options has stores located at level 1 of Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Mandaluyong City; Rustan’s Supermarket, Makati City; Festival Supermall, Filinvest, Alabang; Ayala Center, Cebu City; SM City, North EDSA; SM City Manila; SM Megamall B, EDSA, Mandaluyong City; SM Pampanga; SM Mall of Asia; SM Clark; Bonifacio High Street, Taguig; Trinoma, North EDSA, Quezon City; SM City Davao; RockwellMakati; SM City Cebu; Greenbelt 5, Ayala Center, Makati City; Commerce Mall, Alabang Town Center; Abreeza Mall, Davao City;Robinsons Magnolia, New Manila, Quezon City; Excelsior, Eastwood City, Libis, Quezon City; SM Aura, Taguig; Century City, Makati; Glorietta 2, Makati City; Centrio Mall, Cagayan de Oro; Kidzania, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig; and Nuvali, Sta. Rosa, Laguna. For further information, visit healthyoptions.com.ph.

The latest edition of Health Options Lifestyle News Digest features articles that help people make smart food choices

LoveYourself: Leading NGO sets new HIV screening record in PH

LoveYourself Volunteers during the Incognito HIV Screening for Men last May 29 at Victoria Court in Malate, Manila

LoveYourself is committed in offerring free HIV screening services to everyone who needs it, especially those who are hesitant to come out in the open and get screened

Getting individuals to admit that they have the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is difficult enough, but to actually have themselves tested for HIV is even more challenging. Which is why news that LoveYourself, Inc. – the leading non-government organization on HIV awareness and testing in the country – has broken the Philippine record on eventbased screening is very welcome.

A total of 300 individuals were tested during the first free, anonymous, and fast HIV screening event dubbed as Incognito last May 29 at Victoria Court Malate in Manila. The advocacy group conducted the screening to support the pledge made during the Philippine International AIDS Candlelight Memorial 2016 of educating and encouraging affected populations to know their status.

Utilizing the “Rapid Test” which involves pricking a finger to get just two drops of blood for screening, the activity revealed that 30 individuals turned out to be reactive to HIV, and were encouraged to enroll in LoveYourself ’s treatment program.

“We are glad that we’ve topped our previous mass screening figures, which shows that we are hitting the right populations with our HIV awareness efforts,” said LoveYourself executive director Ronivinn Pagtakhan, adding that the group has attained the highest number of sign-ups of prospective patients of more than 1,200. The number is higher than previous screenings, which shows that there has been increased interest among many to know their HIV status.

According to Pagtakhan, LoveYourself is more than committed to extend its free HIV

screening services to anyone who needs it, especially those who are hesitant to come out in the open and get screened. The organization is also strengthening its efforts to bridge those diagnosed with HIV to undertake treatment and make healthier lifestyle changes. The group’s Tatak LoveYourself promise of service that is “Iniingatan at Inaasikaso” (being welltaken care of) carefully considers the needs of individuals in affected populations who may be anxious or uncomfortable to avail of any sexually transmitted infectionsrelated services.

To keep the identity of the individuals protected, the LoveYourself Incognito activity followed the military secrecy rule of “What you see, what you hear, when you leave, leave it here.” Each individual was coded through the Unique Identifier Coding system to distinguish him from others without revealing his name. The HIV screening procedure included a 15-minute testing and an explanation on the results of the test as well as counseling on safer sex practices to lower the risk of HIV infection.

The group also encourages the public to get tested in LoveYourself ’s established testing clinics located at Anglo Building along Shaw and Uni in Taft-Buendia. Both clinics are open from Wednesdays until Saturday from 12:00 noon to 7:00 p.m., and Sundays at 9:00 a.m. to 2:00p.m.

For more details on Incognito and other LoveYourself ’s services, visit the group’s official website at www.loveyourself.ph or follow and like its social media channels: Facebook- @loveyourself.ph, Twitter @loveyourselfph and Instagram @loveyourself.ph.

T H U R S D AY : J U N E 9, 2 0 1 6

C4

LIFE life @ thestandard.com .ph

@LIFEatStandard

Jeunesse Anion launches testimonial promo

F

Lucky winners get a 3-day, 2-night stay at the BeLLevue BohoL

or those who were unable to hit the beach during summer, Jeunesse Anion Sanitary Napkin and Liners is giving you another chance to wear your bikinis and get toned before you hit the beach with an exciting gym package.

Though the rainy season has started and will most likely last until November with the Northeast Monsoon causing sporadic rains interspersed with sunny days, it’s nice to take advantage of the colder monsoon season to visit the shoreline with the not “too” hot temperature and enjoy the sea breeze without the ickysticky summer feel.

Get a chance to win a three-day, twonight stay at The Bellevue Bohol for two and six months of unlimited gym usage and group exercise package at Sante Impact System. To top it off, winners can get six months supply of Jeunesse Anion Sanitary Napkins and Liners with Omizu Beautifying Natural Spring Water.

All the ladies have to do is make a video (maximum of 60 seconds) and share why Jeunesse Anion is their favorite sanitary napkin and liner.

Jeunesse Anion is a girl’s best friend for those monthly periods. While other napkins and liners promise just absorption and freshness, the special anion strip balances PH and hormone levels, reduces pre-menstrual syndrome, eliminates unwanted odor and fights against vaginal irritations and infections from germs and bacteria. So, it’s not so hard to actually tell the world why women love the brand.

The Bellevue Resort Bohol offers luxurious hotel accommodations with a gamut of wellness activities like kayaking, snorkeling, speed boating, running, biking, and aqua Zumba sessions – perfect for fitness vacationers. Sante Impact System located at the Eton Cyberpod Corinthian is considered as the country’s pioneer fitness-sports rehab facility that features an Integrated and Comprehensive Training and Rehabilitation Management System, said to be the highest and

Share why Jeunesse Anion is your favorite sanitary napkin and liner and get a chance to win a gift of beauty and wellness

The Bellevue Resort Bohol

Sante Impact System

most complete approach to fitness encompassing conditioning, injury, nutrition, and rehabilitation.

While sun and sweat and monthly PMS can cause stress levels to shoot up, the winner of the contest will get a good

amount of Omizu Beautifying Natural Spring Water with PH 8.7 alkalinity to help in fighting off environmental stressors and premature aging. It is the ultimate hydrating drink for radiant skin as well as healthier hair and nails.

Videos may be sent until June 25 to wellgoldinternational@gmail.com with your name, contact number, address, and age. Once your video is posted on Jeunesse Anion Facebook fan page, you then have to ask your friends to help you win by voting, sharing, or liking the video until July 1, 12:00 m.n. Getting your friends to help you win is crucial, as it constitutes 50 percent of the total score.

The contest is open to all Metro Manila women residents 18 years old and above.

For full details of the official contest rules visit Jeunesse Anion Facebook fan page. For more information, visit www.jeunesseanion. com and follow Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at Jeunesse Anion. For inquiries, email: wellgoldinternational@gmail.com or call (02) 4701294.

SaladStop! opens seventh store in Burgos Circle BGC Since opening the first outlet in the Philippines in 2014, people have grown to love the healthy and delicious offering of SaladStop! Today, it has evolved into more than just a restaurant concept – it is now impacting people’s lives and wellbeing.

SaladStop!’s quick service salad-bar concept allows customers to choose from a wide array of their favorite greens with choices of over 60 fresh toppings and 18 home-made dressings to go into their salad or wrap. In the Philippines, almost 95 percent of the ingredients are locally sourced. Its philosophy of “Eat Wide Awake” isn’t just about being good to your body, but to everything around you.

Now on its seventh location, the latest SaladStop!’s strategic spot is just a three-minute walk away from Electric Studio, so fitness junkies can go ahead and splurge on healthy food right after their excise.

During the recent launch of the new location, SaladStoppers experienced a 45-minute heart pumping cycling class led by the Electric Studio’s Team Electric and attended by fitness enthusiasts such as Nadine Tengco, Anton del Rosario, Maxene Magalona, Rob Mananquil, Lissa Kahayon and Bubbles Paraiso

The seventh SaladStop! store in Manila

together with the self-confessed SaladStop! fanatic and newly crowned Binibining Pilipinas 2016 International Kylie Verzosa.

Everyone got to stroll around the new SaladStop! and enjoyed a healthy post-work out meal and rehydrated with Berry Grapeful and Yellow Mellow smoothie made with Coconut water that comes with chia seeds. Signature salads like Oh-Crab-Lah, Hail Caesar, and the unique to the Philippines Man-Go Wild salad, were enjoyed by guests. New recipes and fresh new smoothie and salad flavors and guilt-free

pastries are often introduced to tickle the palate.

Specialty Food Retailers, Inc. (SFRI) is the official franchise holder of SaladStop! In the Philippines. SFRI is a member of SSI Group, Inc. SaladStop! is available in Central Square, Power Plant Mall, OPL Building in Legaspi Village, Greenhills, Glorietta 2, The Mezzanine at Ayala Tower One, and Burgos Circle. Watch out for a fresh announcement for the 8th SaladStop store scheduled to open by the end of June.

Salad Stoppers and fitness enthusiasts during the store launch (from left) Bubbles Paraiso, Nadine Tengco, Anton del Rosario, Kylie Verzosa, business development manager for SaladStop! MJ Tantoco, Maxene Magalona, Rob Mananquil, Lissa Kahayon and associate marketing manager for SaladStop! Tessa Catacutan

T H U R S D AY : j U n E 9, 2 0 1 6

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

C5

First ever Greenwich #UltimateBandkada

A

lmost one year since they emerged as the grand winners of the first ever Greenwich #UltimateBandkada competition, the B-Boys, an acousticrock-pop band composed of Joel Diche, Ernest Lebrilla, and Jason Aballe, are still making sweet music.

Joel, Ernest, and Jason led typical lives before deciding to audition “for fun” for the competition last year. Out of the hundreds that tried out, their group made through all the rounds and ultimately emerged as the big winner.

Launched in 2015, the Greenwich #UltimateBandkada is a search that encourages young Filipinos to show off their unmatched musical creativity. Just as the best and most creative combination of toppings can create the best pizza flavors, Greenwich believes that the best musical groups are those who can perfectly mash-up different genres to create new tunes.

The competition spanned for six long months, and included weekly sessions with mentors from the music industry. It was

#UltimateBankada first winner B-Boys composed of young musicians joel Diche, Ernest Lebrilla and jason Aballe

demanding for the B-Boys, but since their victory, their lives have definitely changed.

“That was a once in a lifetime experience. We waited for that for so long,” says Ernest about

Humans come face to face with zombies for a shooting spree in “Generation Z”

their grand slam win.

When asked about how they are now, Joel expresses that a lot has definitely changed. For one, people recognize them and their music now—some-

thing they only used to dream about. When it comes to their musical style, they reveal that they’re now more confident with exploring other genres, all thanks to the competition.

“We’re also trying our hand at songwriting, since we’re Viva recording artists now,” he adds.

From making music just for fun, they’re slowly fulfilling their musical dreams, and they have the Greenwich #UltimateBandkada competition to thank for.

“We’ve improved so much since we won,” says Jason. “Before, we would only do small gigs. Now, we actually do guest gigs. We even have a music video. We’re honestly more confident now; with our music and ourselves,” he adds.

Now that the search is on and a new batch of hopefuls are about to start their journey to becoming the next Greenwich #UltimateBandkada, the B-Boys have a few words of inspiration for them.

“Practice a lot—and don’t forget to follow the rules!” says Joel. Ernest on the other hand, stresses one important aspect of being in a band: “Never stop chasing your dreams, and always trust your bandmates,” he says. Finally, Jason urges participants to stay humble throughout the competition: “Keep your feet on the ground,” he says.

Visit www.ultimatebandkada. com for complete details.

Actress jessica de Gouw in a scene from the zombie film “Generation Z”

Winning the war against zombies Generation Z (also known as The ReZort in other territories) introduces a new kind of recreation when humans have won the war against zombies.

Considered as the ultimate therapeutic revenge, Generation Z brings humans face to face with zombies for a shooting spree in an exclusive island to release one’s rage after being deeply damaged by the zombie outbreak years back. Unbeknownst to them, this is a process where humanity is doomed to continuously repeat.

The audience enters a different world through Melanie (played by Jessica De Gouw), who is still reeling from her traumatic experience of losing her family during the zombie outbreak. On the verge of anger and revenge, Melanie’s repetitive nightmares haunt her.

Desperate to help Melanie overcome her tragic past and save a relationship that’s crum-

bling under the pressure, Melanie’s boyfriend, Lewis (Martin McCann), books them a trip to the five-star ReZort. But just as Melanie prepares to face her demons, all hell breaks loose when a zombie rights activist hacks into the park’s security system and uploads a virus, which disables all security settings releasing thousands of zombies back into the wild. The ReZort experience just got real. Outnumbered and isolated, Melanie and the few remaining guests at The ReZort must work together to battle their way to safety. And the only way Melanie is going to get out of this alive is to face her worst nightmare head on.

Jessica De Gouw sums the film up as “a hybrid of genres. It is zombie horror in some respects, but it’s also more of an adventure and quest story than zombie films normally are with a very weighty truth about the human condi-

tion.” While The ReZort is an ensemble film, the role of Melanie is integral to the film as she is a conduit for the audience into this post-apocalyptic society: “She lost her dad during the war, so she’s on a path of discovery, it’s through her eyes that we go on this journey and navigate this world,” adds De Gouw.

Such a layered role was a difficult one to portray, according to writer Paul Gerstenberger, “Her character is a tricky one to pull off as she’s someone who has a lot of demons and is damaged and broken in a lot of respects. The role required someone to portray that without coming across as simpering”. In rising star DeGouw, Gerstenberger feels they found that quality and more, “In many respects, Jessica as Melanie is a lot stronger than I imagined or hoped she would be.”

“I was a huge fan of Michael Crichton and his tech thrill-

ers, like Jurassic Park and Westworld”, says Gerstenberger. ”So those were some of the influences in writing this. The parallels to both films are clear, in that The ReZort is set in a Safari Park on an island, where an environment is created for entertainment for visitors to interact with unnatural entities, but eventually become overrun by the inhabitants under containment.”

Generation Z is a slick and contemporary thrill ride offering a fresh twist on the zombie

film genre but first and foremost it is fun and entertaining, made to appeal to a broad audience of film fans: “it has a great sense of escapism and entertainment” explains director Steve Barker. “When I first read the script I was immediately struck by the unique proposition presented by the concept itself. It was a brilliant read and great fun to bring about”.

Generation Z will finally open June 15 and released by Axinite Digicinema.

Erratum In the article published on this section (A Daily Dose of Beauty), the photo of a gentleman and a lady was identified as Jeron Teng and Gretchen Ho. We regret the mistake. It should have been “TruLife Director Dylan Hu and event host Carla Lizardo.” Our apologies.

Dylan Hu (left) and Carla Lizardo (right)

C6

T H U R S D AY : j U n E 9, 2 0 1 6

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

Yul sERvO

Reluctant politician

BY JaYnIE amBaYEc

J

ohn Marvin C. Nieto, or more popularly known in show business as Yul Servo, is now an elected member of the House of Representatives representing Manila’s 3rd District. Nieto is like Francisco Domagoso or Isko Moreno.

Both started as actors in movies and on television before joining the world of Manila’s colorful politics.

The 37-year-old Nieto’s dream though was not to be a politician but to make a name in show business. His films are impressive and include Lav Diaz’s Batang West Side (2001), Ilusyon (2005). Brutus (2008), Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story (2011), and Naglalayag (2004) with the country’s lone superstar, Nora Aunor.

He had a pretty successful career, but what made him decide to leave showbiz behind?

“I did it for my father. He was the one who’s into helping people, he used to be a Councilor,” he revealed in an interview with The Standard.

He admitted that entering politics did not really cross his mind but upon his father’s encouragement, he decided to give it a try.

“My father kept on urging me. So, I said

that I’ll try it but I was a bit hesitant back then because I already had a good career as an actor. I was in movies and TV. My contribution as an actor was also recognized when a won a few acting awards,” Nieto shared.

Nevertheless, he did follow his father’s wish but doubted his chances of even winning the approval of the electorate especially those who didn’t know anything much about him.

“I didn’t think that I’d win but I did and that was the start of my career as a public servant. I had obtained three terms as Councilor and I enjoyed it,” Nieto beamed with pride.

For the now congressman Nieto, his journey from being an actor to politician was actually a smooth transition. “I was surrounded by good people. I didn’t have a hard time because my family was there, the staff supported me and guided me since this was not my forte.”

He said that it was also helpful that he has a voracious appetite to learn and gain knowledge. In the process of serving the public, he is also learning a lot. He has learned how to speak in front of many peo-

ple. He has learned to adapt and to socialize with different sectors of society.

“There are times when you’ll get hurt from certain situations, there are times when you’ll be happy… you’ll learn lessons and there are memories that you’ll never forget. These made my strong foundation as a public servant.”

When asked about what makes him different from other showbiz-politicians, or from other public servants for that matter, Cong. Nieto said that he doesn’t do it for the money?

“I love serving people. I won because I think people saw my perseverance, and unwavering dedication. You can win without spending too much money. I fought fair for this position. I didn’t use money and I didn’t give any to get votes. I learned that if you do your job well, people or voters would see that.”

The way he talks about his career as a politician, it seems that he’s now deeply entrenched in serving the public. The only downside of him being in public office, according to him, is that he had to sacrifice a few personal things.

newly-elected congressman john Marvin nieto, or Yul Servo in showbiz

“There are instances when a family member, like your child, needs you, say it’s a graduation...but you have to attend to some matters in the government. The only thing you could say is that you’ll make it up to them,” Nieto ended.

(Jaynie Ambayec is an incoming senior at Colegio de San Juan de Letran majoring in communication arts.)

GMA executives in 2016 PromaxBDA Promotion, Marketing and Design Global Excellence Awards as judges GMA Network First Vice President for Program Support Regie Bautista will serve as a judge once again at the 2016 PromaxBDA Promotion, Marketing and Design Global Excellence Awards to be held in New York this month. Joining her also as a judge is Assistant Vice President for Program Support’s Creative Services Division Dino Garcia.

Recognizing outstanding achievements across multiple platforms in the field of entertainment marketing, PromaxBDA Promotion, Marketing and Design Global Excellence Awards is judged by a select group of respected industry professionals

GMA network top guns Regie Bautista (left) and Dino Garcia (right)

cROsswORD puzzlE

answer PreVIOUs PUZZLe

ACROSS 1 Bactrian 6 — dunk 10 Nose stimulus 14 I give up!

15 Cronyn of “Cocoon” 16 Count on 17 Is way cool 18 Beside oneself 19 Edit out 20 Forensic science tool

21 Digs 23 Long distance haulers 24 River or wine 26 Indifferent 27 Glossy fabric 29 Mover’s rental (hyph.)

31 Radius companion 32 Beeper 33 Eur. airline 36 Short on cash (3 wds.)

40 Sleet-covered 41 Wedding-cake layers 42 Blah 43 “The Prisoner of —” 44 Flew low 46 Altiplano ruminant 48 Gold-orange gem 49 Water conduits 50 Yet to come 52 Scamp 55 All, in combos 56 Explorer — Heyerdahl 57 Astaire sister 59 Do dock work 60 Zillions of years 61 Physicist Nikola — 62 1917 abdicator 63 Small fry 64 Basso Simon — DOWN 1 Whey opposite 2 Erelong 3 Paul of the Fab Four 4 Antlered animal 5 Mann or Nielsen 6 Fountain treat 7 Winter Olympics event 8 Cookie man 9 Actress — Ryan

THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2016

10 11 12 13 22 23 25 26 27 28 29 30 32 33 34 35 37 38 39 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 53 54 56 58

Trial Considers Kukla’s pal Deli loaves Motel of yore Losing streak Recover Empty Whirling dervish Baldwin of films Infra opposite Mocking laughs Long in the tooth Flashiest Peak Lean-to Account entries 1492 caravel Chichen — (Mayan ruins) More wacky Jungle crusher Latest news Lhasa monks Ronstadt or Hunt Pithy Lose hair Mariner’s hello Bumper-sticker word Fr. miss Pod contents Lunar New Year — Moines

from around the world.

PromaxBDA is comprised of over 10, 000 companies and individuals in the industry and is considered “the leading global resource for education, community, creative inspiration and career development in the media and media marketing sectors.”

As GMA’s First Vice President for Program Support, Bautista oversees the Network’s multiplatform marketing promotions, creative services, media and on-air continuity, and digital media divisions.

Meanwhile, as Assistant Vice President of Program Support’s Creative Services Division, Garcia leads creative teams in

conceptualizing, developing and executing various creative multi-media campaigns for the network and its programs.

The Program Support Department has garnered recognition for the Network from various local and international award-giving bodies, including PromaxBDA and the New York Festivals.

Most recently, the opening billboard for GMA’s historical drama series Ilustrado won the Silver award at the 2015 PromaxBDA Asia Awards and was a finalist at the 2015 PromaxBDA Global Excellence Awards and at the 2016 New York Festivals International TV & Film Awards.

T H U R S D AY : j U n E 9, 2 0 1 6

SHOWBITZ

ISAH V. RED EDITOR

isahred @ gmail.com

F

C7

new horror series from creator of ‘The Walking Dead’

ox Networks Group (FNG), Asia’s leading pay-TV network, has announced that a new horror drama series from The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman is thrilling audiences all over the world after ir premiered on Saturday on Fox. Outcast, which is based on the comic book of the same name by Kirkman and co-creator and illustrator Paul Azaceta, is a compelling story about a young man fighting manifestations of demonic possession, and it premiered on FOX on June 4, in the Philippines and Southeast Asia, with a simulcast on Fox Filipino and STARWorld. The series was simulcast in the country day and date, within hours of the US premiere on June 3.

Outcast is set to be Fox’s next global hit series, and is FNG’s first original scripted drama. The series features an award-winning production team and cast, including Patrick Fugit (Almost Famous), who plays the lead character of Kyle Barnes, Philip Glenister as Rev. Anderson, Reg E. Cathey as Chief Giles, show runner Chris Black, director Adam Wingard, and composer Atticus Ross.

The cinematic treatment of a genre previously unexplored on TV makes Outcast required viewing for fans of horror and stories about exorcism.

The premiere episode introduced the lead character of Kyle Barnes, a young man from the small town of Rome in West Virginia who returns home after a long absence. What marks Kyle is his dark past, having witnessed his loved ones go through demonic possession—the reason why he left Rome in the first place.

He returns years later to find the answers behind his family’s suffering, in the hopes that he can help Joshua Austin, an 8-yearold who lives in front of the Barnes house and is believed to be possessed by a demon that seems mysteriously connected to Kyle.

American actor Patrick Fugit (left) as Kyle Barnes and English actor Philip Glenister (right) as Reverend Anderson

“Outcast” is an American horror drama series based on the comics of the same title

Together with Rev. Anderson, a West Virginia evangelist who believes he is a soldier in God’s holy war against the forces of evil on Earth, Kyle revisits Rome to face his past, discover his fate, and possibly change the world forever.

To drum up excitement for Outcast, a series of huge wall murals was unveiled in locations with high foot traffic in 13 countries around the world including the Philippines from May 28 to June 3 to reveal a scene from Outcast’s first episode. Each city’s mural was painted by a local artist based on illustrations provided by Azuceta to depict one panel from the scene’s storyboard, similar to panels in a comic book.

Renowned graphic design team Team Manila was assigned to create the Outcast mural in Manila, coloring in Azuceta’s blackand-white sketches and adding their own flourishes of Filipino culture to the art.

Every few hours, one mural in one city

be given access to a longer clip from the first episode of Outcast for an exclusive, more-detailed preview. More information on how fans can interact with the murals can be found on the website.

“Fox is excited to be featuring another show that pushes the envelope for the horror genre on TV, and an original scripted drama by FNG at that. We’re confident that Filipino fans who have loyally been tuning in to Kirkman’s previous work on The Walking Dead will embrace Outcast as another fine example of edgy storytelling, relatable characters, and excellent production,” said Charo Espedido, director and head of Marketing at FNG Philippines.

“Our collaboration with Team Manila for Outcast was also another great opportunity to showcase local artistic talent on an international platform.”

Catch Outcast every Saturdays at 8:55 p.m. exclusively on FOX.

was unveiled online at https://outcastart.tv/ and on social media until all murals could be arranged by fans in the correct sequence to see a sneak preview of Outcast’s premiere episode. This global rollout of Outcast that includes countries in Europe and Latin America as well as Hong Kong and Southeast Asia was kicked off on May 28 at the London Comic Con, where stars of Outcast were present.

FNG also took promotions of Outcast to the digital realm in order to encourage fans to interact with the murals. The interactive and immersive website has become a hub for images and video content created during production of the murals and allows fans to follow them online and through social media. Those who can visit a mural in person could also unlock previously unavailable content on their personal devices using geolocation, and if enough visitors log in to this they will

Triple wedding celebrations in Sky Families nationwide are cordially invited to watch together three weddingthemed Star Cinema movies for the entire month of June for free on SKYcable Prepaid and SKYdirect.

SKY vows to shower families with non-stop laughter and love with hit rom-com movies Bride for Rent starring Kim Chiu and Xian Lim, Here Comes the Bride with Angelica Panganiban and Eugene Domingo, and Four Sisters and a Wedding featuring Toni Gonzaga, Bea Alonzo, Angel Locsin, Shaina Magdayao and Enchong Dee. The movie marathon will screen back-to-back for free to SKY prepaid subscribers with load.

The free movie screening is available to SKYcable prepaid subscribers in Metro Manila, CAMANAVA/Rizal, Cavite, Laguna, San Jose del Monte Bulacan, Ba-

‘Top Chef’ Season 12 oozes with

gastronomic indulgences

“Bride for Rent” stars Xian Lim and Kim Chiu

colod, Baguio, Cebu, Davao, Dumaguete, General Santos, and Iloilo. Meanwhile, SKYdirect subscribers can catch all three

Four Sisters and a Wedding” cast (from left) Toni Gonzaga, Angel Locsin, Enchong Dee, Bea Alonzo and Shaina Magdayao

“Here Comes the Bride” with Angelica Panganiban and Eugene Domingo

movies anywhere in the country since signal is transmitted via satellite.

To avail of the free movie marathon, SKYcable prepaid and SKYdirect subscribers should simply have load balance within June. SKYcable prepaid and SKYdirect load may be purchased at SKYZones and SKY business centers, SM Store, Save More, SM Hypermart, Waltermart, Alfamart, Cebuana Lhuillier, Touch Pay (Mini Stop), ULoad, Bayad Center, 7-eleven and ECPAY outlets, Load Central partners (Netopia, USSC, MLhuillier, 1Bro and SST Laptop) and at Load Xtreme.

Don’t miss the chance to enjoy a free movie marathon at home with three heartfelt and funny stories on Filipino weddings this June only on SKY. To apply as a SKY subscriber, text APPLY <space> NAME to 23662 to become a SKYcable Prepaid subscriber or send a message to 23668 to become a SKYdirect subscriber.

Top Chef Season 12 gives culinary competition shows another take at exquisite dish preparation and race for the gold.

Sixteen candidates compete for first place as they are presented with numerous challenges including “Quick Fire Sudden Death” challenge wherein the winner is immune from elimination on the next round. Follow them as they make their way through obstacles that test not just their cooking prowess but also their personal backgrounds and reservations.

Padma Lakshmi returns as Top Chef judge and host, sharing her glamour and taste as the participants vie for top position in this gastronomic journey. Joining her in guiding the talented participants are Richard Blais, winner of Top Chef: All Stars, Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons, and Hugh Acheson.

Top Chef Season 12 premieres tomorrow and airs weeknights at 7 p.m. on Sony Channel.

Sony Channel is seen on SKYCable Ch 35, Cignal Digital TV Ch 60, Destiny Cable Ch 62, Cable Link Ch 39.

Former “Top Chef” winner Richard Blais (left) joins program host Padma Lakshmi (right) in the reality show’s latest season

C8

T H U R S D AY : j U N E 9, 2 0 1 6

ISAH V. RED EDITOR NICKIE WANG WRITER

isahred @ gmail.com

SHOWBITZ

“A1 Ko Sa’Yo!” is a sexy comedy featuring jaclyn jose, Solenn Heussaff and Benjamin Alves playing the main characters

Comedy royalties AiAi delas Alas and Vic Sotto reunite in “Hay, Bahay”

GMA NETWORk’s NEW pROGRAMs ON ITs 66Th ANNIvERsARy ISAH V. RED

T

he Kapuso Network continues to chart new grounds this 2016 as it presents a line-up of game-changing programs this June in line with its celebration of its 66th anniversary.

GMA opens the month with A1 Ko Sa’yo!, a sexy comedy featuring 2016 Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Jaclyn Jose as Digna Molina. Joining her are Gardo Versoza, Sef Cadayona, Benjamin Alves, Roi Vinzon, Ervic Vijandre, Denise Barbacena, Gee Canlas, Mara Alberto and Solenn Heussaff. Under the helm of Randy Santiago, catch this alloriginal naughty comedy every

Thursday night as it emphasizes wit and humor beginning June 2.

The upcoming comedy series Conan My Beautician, meanwhile, is expected to showcase the versatility and talent of Kapuso actor Mark Herras and 2013 Miss World Megan Young. Mark plays the role of Conan, a straight guy who is forced to work in a beauty salon. Things get more complicated when he meets Ava, played

by Megan Young, the bride he was supposed to work on in a makeup gig, but unfortunately he falls in love with. Completing the stellar cast are today’s most talented comedians: Cacai Bautista, Jerald Napoles, Betong Sumaya, Boobsie, Tetay, Vangie Labalan, Lotlot De Leon, Jay Manalo, Chlaui Malayao, Antonette Garcia, and Balang. Directed by Adolf Alix, Jr. with Rember Gelera, and penned by award-winning writ-

ers headed by Rody Vera and Zig Dulay, the GMA News and Public Affairs show airs every Sunday starting June 26 at 5 p.m.

Airing June 27, the intriguing Afternoon Prime series Sa Piling Ni Nanay, features the reunion of StarStruck Season 1 alumni Mark Herras, Yasmien Kurdi and Katrina Halili. Sa Piling Ni Nanay tells the story of a surrogate mother and her selfless love for her daughter. Also in the cast are Nova Villa, Bettinna Carlos, Antonio Aquitania, Sofia Jayzel Cabatay. This series is under the helm of Gil Tejada, Jr. Set to bring Kapuso viewers a funny twist to an extraordinary story of family, love and life is the new comedy series Hay, Bahay!

With 47th Guillermo Mendoza Memorial Scholarship Foundation (GMMSF) Box Office King and Queen, Vic Sotto and AiAi

delas Alas, the program shows the daily life and misadventures of a typical extended Filipino family. Joining Vic and Ai Ai are real-life celebrity couple Kristine Hermosa and Oyo Boy Sotto, comedians Jose Manalo, Wally Bayola and Ruby Rodriguez.

Viewers should also watch out for the premiere of the highly anticipated return of Encantadia.

Bagging the much-coveted roles of the four Sang’gres—Amihan, Alena, Danaya and Pirena—are Kylie Padilla, Gabbi Garcia, Sanya Lopez and Glaiza de Castro. Playing very special roles are the network’s Primetime King and Queen and real-life coupple Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera-Dantes as Raquim and Ynang Reyna Minea.

Joining the stellar cast are John Arcilla, Rocco Nacino, Ruru Madrid, Sunshine Dizon,

Christian Bautista, Rochelle Pangilinan, Vaness del Moral, Pancho Magno, Buboy Villar, Carlo Gonzalez, Kate Valdez, Mikee Quintos, Starstruck finalist James Teng, introducing Starstruck winners Klea Pineda and Migo Adecer, and with Solenn Heussaff. This highly acclaimed saga, which is under the helm of Mark Reyes, tells the story of sisterhood, of family, and of great forbidden love that bridge two different worlds, the mortal world and the magical kingdom of Encantadia.

Meanwhile, Asia’s Pop Sweetheart Julie Anne San Jose is tapped to perform the anniversary theme song “Buhos ng PaGMAmahal.” The jingle, which is written by Jon Fulgencio and composed by Simon Peter Tan, teases the viewers about the anniversary offerings of the Network.

New Sang’gres: (from left) Sanya Lopez, Gabbi Garcia, Kylie Padilla and Glaiza de Castro

Mark Herras (left) plays the title role in “Conan the Beautician,” which Comedians jose Manalo (standing) and Wally Bayola join the cast of GMA’s new comedy series, “Hay, Bahay” also stars Miss World 2013 Megan Young

Mark Herras (left) reunites with fellow StarStruck alum Katrina Halili (right) in the afternoon drama “Sa Piling Ni Nanay”